Frozen chips: an unusual cause of severe frostbite injury

A case of severe frostbite injury to the right foot is presented. This was caused by the inappropriate application of a bag of frozen chips to the foo t in an attempt to ease nonspecific pain. No specific acute traumatic injur y was identified. As the patient was a teacher of physical education, the p ain had initially been assumed to originate from a minor musculoskeletal in jury. Full recovery ensued after surgical excision of necrotic tissue and s plit skin grafting. The danger of inappropriate overenthusiastic use of ice packs or other frozen material to treat soft tissue injuries is emphasised . The need for education to prevent similar future injuries is discussed.