Cold Injury

cold injury,

any of several abnormal and often serious physical conditions caused by exposure to cold temperatures. See also chilblain, frostbite, hypothermia, immersion foot.

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Cold Injury

An injury induced by low ambient temperatures—e.g., chilblain, trench foot, frostbite—which may be accompanied by tissue freezing
Risk groups and factors Infants, young children, elderly, alcohol use

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cold

1. an acute disease of the upper respiratory tract characterized by cough, sneezing, running at the eyes and nose and mild fever, similar to the common cold of humans, occurring in captive primates.

2. a relatively low temperature; the lack of heat. A total absence of heat is absolute zero, at which all molecular motion ceases. See also hypothermia.

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cold acclimation

short-term adjustments to carbohydrate and fat metabolism in response to exposure to low environmental temperatures.

cold acclimatization

heat production is not increased, but heat loss is reduced by changes in haircoat and vascular supply to the skin.

cold applications

the primary effect of cold on the surface of the body is constriction of the blood vessels. Cold also causes contraction of the involuntary muscles of the skin. These actions result in a reduced blood supply to the skin and produce a marked pallor. If cold is prolonged there may be damage to the tissues because of the decreased blood supply.

The secondary effects of cold are the opposite of its primary action. There is increased cell activity, dilatation of the blood vessels, and increased sensitivity of the nerve endings.

cold barn

see cold housing (below).

cold cow syndrome

see shock.

cold-enrichment

a procedure that promotes growth of some bacteria during laboratory isolation. Suspensions of specimens are held at refrigerator temperatures for extended periods before being cultured. Recommended for recovery of Listeria monocytogenes from neural listeriosis and Yersinia spp.

cold exposure

see hypothermia.

cold hemagglutinin disease

see cold agglutinin disease.

cold housing

thin-walled, uninsulated barns with no central heating.

cold injury

includes hypothermia and frostbite.

cold-nosed

refers to a hound which is able to follow a cold (very old) scent.

cold receptors

receptors in the skin which are sensitive to low temperatures.

cold rooms

walk-in refrigerator; temperature used varies with material stored, e.g. meat needs 32°F to 45°F (0°C to 7°C), offal needs less than 28°F (−2°C).

cold-shoeing

fitting a horseshoe without heating it in a forge and shaping it exactly to the foot. See also shoeing.

cold shortening

shrinkage of meat when temperature is excessively low in early stages of chilling.

cold steel surgery

that using unheated cutting instruments; the normal surgical procedure in contrast to electrosurgery or cryosurgery.

cold storage

for meat to be stored for more than 72 hours the chilling temperature should be between 30°F and 23°F (−1 and −5°C) and the humidity less than 90%.

cold store taint

cut lean surfaces of chilled meat are covered with a brown slime and have a sour smell caused by growth of the bacteria Achromobacter spp.

cold stress

occurs at temperatures less than 50°F (10°C), varying with chill factor, wetness, protection from wind.

cold therapy

see cryosurgery, therapeutic hypothermia.

cold tray

the container used for immersion of instruments in a cold sterilization solution, usually with a rack that allows instruments to be lifted above the fluid level to drain before use.

cold water hemolytic anemia

see cold anemia.

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cold injury

A general term for any injury induced by low ambient temperatures–eg, chilblain, trench foot, frostbite, which may be accompanied by tissue freezing Risk groups Infants, young children, elderly, alcohol use