Military medicine
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Cold weather injury (CWI) reports covering 272 U. S. Army soldiers from September 1990 to May 1995 were reviewed. ⋯ Seventy-one percent of CWIs occurred when the wind-chill factor was at or below -20 degrees F (-29 degrees C). Male African-American soldiers appear to be significantly more susceptible to frostbite than male Caucasian soldiers, especially with regard to frostbite of the distal extremities (relative risk = 3.94; 95% confidence interval = 2.77-5.59). Other identified risk factors include inadequate clothing, wet clothing, dehydration, inactivity, fatigue, and previous CWIs.