Use of Heparin in Treatment of Experimental Frostbite

Abstract

Summary

A total of 153 rabbits had their legs exposed to temperatures of −25°C or −15°C for 30 minutes and subsequently treated with heparin administered intravenously for a period of 6 days. Twelve animals received 20 mg of heparin every 4 hours. 39 received 30 mg every 12 hours, and 102 received 30 mg every 6 hours.

Eighty animals were frostbitten at the same temperatures and for the same exposure times and used as untreated controls.

A statistical analysis of the results showed that tissue necrosis from frostbite was not significantly less in the heparin-treated animals.

Of 153 animals that were treated with heparin 74 died whereas 17 of 80 control animals succumbed during the experiment. The fatalities in the heparin-treated series were due to fatal internal hemorrhages in 53 cases; in 17 instances to a shock-like condition especially observed when the initial injection of heparin was delayed 4 or more hours after injury, and 4 animals died from unknown causes.