THE USE OF PEGORGOTEIN IN THE TREATMENT OF FROSTBITE

Free oxygen radicals have been postulated to be an important mediator of injury in frostbite. A long-acting version of the endogenous scaven ger enzyme, superoxide dismutase, has been created by conjugating it w ith polyethylene glycol (pegorgotein, formerly known as PEG-SOD). This study evaluated the efficacy of pegorgotein on frostbite tissue survi val when administered prior to rewarming. In a prospective study, two groups of nine rabbits received a standardized frostbite injury using a modified Weatherley-White model. A control group received no pharmac ologic therapy; the treatment group received 10 000 IU/kg pegorgotein intravenously immediately postinjury. Healing was followed until a cle ar line of demarcation was apparent (10 days). The percentage of viabl e ear surface remaining at the end of the study was measured and used to compare the effectiveness of treatment. Student's t-test was used t o determine statistical significance. The study was designed to have a n 80% ability to detect a 35% difference in tissue survival. No signif icant difference in frostbite injury (p = 0.967) was observed between the control and treatment groups. The treatment group showed a 9.3 +/- 15.5% tissue survival, whereas the control group had 9.6 +/- 14.5% ti ssue survival. These results indicate no significant treatment effect for pegorgotein on tissue survival in a rabbit frostbite injury model when administered immediately postinjury.