Trench foot
Trench foot, also known by other names, is a type of foot damage due to moisture.[1] Initial symptoms often include tingling or itching which can progress to numbness.[1][2] 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
Immersion foot
- Tingling, itch and numbness or pain in feet
- Infection
- Prolonged exposure of feet to damp
- Keep feet dry
- Surgical debridement
Trench foot occurs due to prolonged exposure of the feet to cold, damp, and often unsanitary conditions.[1] Unlike frostbite, trench foot usually occurs at temperatures above freezing,[1] and can be classed as a form of non-freezing cold injury.[3] Onset can be as rapid as 10 hours.[1] Risk factors include overly tight boots and not moving.[4] The underlying mechanism is believed to involve constriction of blood vessels resulting in insufficient 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.[4] 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 Bonaparte's retreat from Russia in the winter of 1812.[1]
Names[edit]
Trench foot was an informal name applied to the condition from its prevalence during the trench warfare of World War I.[1] Health officials at the time used a variety of other terms as they studied the condition, but trench foot was eventually formally sanctioned and used.[2] Informally, it was also known as jungle rot during the Vietnam War.[5]
It is also known as immersion foot syndrome[6] and as a nonfreezing cold injury.[2]
Causes[edit]
Unlike frostbite, trench foot does not require freezing temperatures. It can occur in temperatures up to 16 °C (61 °F) and within as little as 13 hours. Exposure to these environmental conditions causes deterioration and destruction of the capillaries and leads to damage of the surrounding flesh.[7] Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) has long been regarded as a contributory cause. Unsanitary, cold, and wet conditions can also cause trench foot.[8]
Diagnosis[edit]
The diagnosis of trench foot does not usually require any investigations unless an underlying infection of bone is suspected, when an X-ray is performed. A full blood count might show a high white blood cell count if infection is present and inflammatory markers such as an erythrocyte sedimentation rate or C-reactive protein (CRP) might highlight severity.[1]
Treatment[edit]
Keeping the feet dry is the first line treatment. The initial aim is to protect undamaged tissue of the feet and prevent any further destruction of the feet.[4][7] Applying emollient helps.[7]
The mainstay of treatment—as with gangrene—is surgical debridement. Severe cases may require amputation.[1]
Self-treatment consists of changing socks two or three times a day and usage of plenty of talcum powder. Whenever possible, shoes and socks should be taken off, the feet bathed for five minutes and patted dry, talcum powder applied, and feet elevated to let air get to them.[1]
