User:Mr. Ibrahem/Trench foot
| Mr. Ibrahem/Trench foot | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Immersion foot |
 | |
| Educational poster from the Office of War Information - WW2 | |
| Specialty | Emergency medicine |
| Symptoms | Tingling, numbness, swelling, pain in a foot[1] |
| Complications | Infection[1] |
| Usual onset | As early as 10 hours[1] |
| Causes | Exposure of feet to cold and damp conditions[1] |
| Risk factors | Tight boots, not moving[2] |
| Diagnostic method | Based on symptoms and examination[1] |
| Differential diagnosis | Frostbite, chilblains, cellulitis[1][3] |
| Prevention | Keeping the feet warm, dry, and clean[1] |
| Treatment | Pain medications together with rewarming, surgery[1] |
Trench foot is a type of foot damage due to moisture.[1] Initial symptoms often include tingling or itching which can progress to numbness.[1][4] The feet may become red or bluish in color.[1] As the condition worsens the feet can start to swell and smell of decay.[1] Complications may include skin breakdown or infection.[1]
Trench foot occurs due to prolonged exposure of the feet to cold, damp, and often unsanitary conditions.[1] The degree of cold; however, is less than freezing, which would result in frostbite.[1] Onset can be as rapidly as 10 hours.[1] Risk factors include overly tight boots and not moving.[2] The underlying mechanism is believed to involve constriction of blood vessels resulting in not enough blood flow to the feet.[1] Diagnosis is based on symptoms and examination.[1]
Prevention involves keeping the feet warm, dry, and clean.[1] After the condition has occurred, pain medications may be required during the gradual rewarming process.[1] Pain may persist for months following treatment.[2] Surgery to remove damaged tissue or amputation may be necessary.[1]
Those in the military are most commonly affected, though cases may also occur in the homeless.[1] The condition was first described during Napoleon's retreat from Russia in the winter of 1812.[1] The word trench in the name is a reference to trench warfare, mainly associated with World War I.[1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Bush, Jeffrey S.; Lofgran, Trevor; Watson, Simon (2020), Trench Foot, StatPearls Publishing, PMID 29493986, archived from the original on 2021-08-29, retrieved 2020-11-29
- ^ a b c Ackerman, Bret T.; Wedmore, Ian S. (2008). "11. Operational Medicine Environmental Considerations". In Schwartz, Richard B.; McManus, John G.; Swienton, Raymond E. (eds.). Tactical Emergency Medicine. LWW medical book collection. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 80. ISBN 978-0-7817-7332-4. Archived from the original on 2021-08-29. Retrieved 2020-10-29.
- ^ Stanley, James C.; Veith, Frank; Wakefield, Thomas W. (2014). Current Therapy in Vascular and Endovascular Surgery E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 701. ISBN 978-1-4557-5962-0. Archived from the original on 2021-08-28. Retrieved 2020-12-01.
- ^ Atenstaedt, Robert L. (1 December 2006). "Trench Foot: The Medical Response in the First World War 1914–18". Wilderness & Environmental Medicine. 17 (4): 282–289. doi:10.1580/06-WEME-LH-027R.1. ISSN 1080-6032. PMID 17219792. Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2020.