Chirurgie de la main
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Chirurgie de la main · Jun 2012
Case Reports[Freon gas frostbite: an unusual burn evolving in two stages].
Freon gas is a halogenated derivative widely used in refrigeration and air conditioning. It is maintained at a temperature below -41°C and its contact with skin may cause very serious burns. This is usually an accident at work and the burns affect the hands of patients first. ⋯ Few cases of this injury are reported and no treatment protocol is established at this time. We present two cases of frostbite by freon gas, initially evaluated at a stage of superficial burns and evolved spontaneously in a few days to full thickness burns necessitating surgical treatment by excision and skin grafting. This evolution in two phases has never been described and could help to better understand the pathophysiology of this frostbite and the possibilities of management.
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Crush injuries of the hand have a bad prognosis. The development of a compartment syndrome in crush injuries is feared but rare, and usually affects the radial interosseous muscle compartment due to certain anatomic features. The usual clinical presentation is an edematous hand held in a slightly intrinsic position with severe pain resistant to level 111 analgesia. ⋯ The aim of this work is to resolve differences in compartmental pressure measurements that may cause misdiagnosis and surgical error. The dermofasciectomy is the only treatment that stops muscle ischemia and avoids perpetuation of the viscious circle of irreversible damage. Functional prognosis is compromised in compartment syndrome and the dermofasciectomy cannot be delayed under any circumstance.