Which statement is true about frostbite?

• A. It is classified by depth of injury and appearance after rewarming.
• B. It is unrelated to duration of cold exposure.
• C. It always heals without scarring.
• D. It only occurs in high altitude.

Answer: (A)

Frostbite is assessed by how deeply the tissue has frozen and by what the tissue looks like after rewarming. Clinically, injuries are classified from superficial to deep based on depth of involvement (skin and subcutaneous tissues versus deeper structures like muscle and bone), and the appearance that appears once rewarming occurs helps confirm that depth. This approach matters because the depth of injury strongly predicts outcomes: superficial frostbite tends to heal with fewer long-term effects, while deeper freezing can cause necrosis, gangrene, and permanent damage, often with scarring or lasting functional loss. Rewarming itself reveals the extent of tissue injury—blisters, color changes, edema, and firmness after thawing reflect how far the freezing penetrated. The other statements don’t fit because duration of cold exposure does influence risk and severity, frostbite can scar, and it is not limited to high altitude; it can occur in any cold environment.