Forum for Nordic Dermato-Venereology No 3, 2019 Telemedicine | Page 10

Luit Penninga, Anne Kathrine Lorentzen and Carsten Sauer Mikkelsen – Telemedicine for Frostbite Lesions
Fig. 3. Storm during a skiing expedition across the Greenland Ice Cap.
Temperatures reached a low of –50°C during the 600 km long expedition,
and during heavy storms skiing was impossible as the risk of hypothermia
and frostbite was too high. Photo: Anne Kathrine Lorentzen.
Fig. 4. The vast Greenland Ice Cap, spanning 2,600 km from north to
south, and 1,050 km from east to west. Multiple organizations offer
guided expeditions across the Ice Cap, and interest has grown over the
past decade, putting increasingly more people at risk of frostbite injuries.
Photo: Anne Kathrine Lorentzen.
Expert advice gained through telemedicine can avoid prema-
ture surgical amputation (2). Early diagnosis allows for the
application of new treatment options for frostbite lesions, such
as thrombolysis and vasodilating agents like Iloprost (4, 24).
C onclusion
Telemedicine is an important tool in gaining regional, national
or international expert advice on diagnosis and treatment of
frostbite lesions.
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Forum for Nord Derm Ven 2019, Vol. 24, No. 3