Citation

MSMR 2021; 28(10): 2-10.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, U.S. Armed Forces Surveillance Center)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

34964583

Abstract

From July 2020 through June 2021, a total of 539 members of the active (n=469) and reserve (n=70) components had at least 1 medical encounter with a pri­mary diagnosis of cold injury. The crude overall incidence rate of cold injury for all active component service members in 2020-2021 (35.4 per 100,000 person-years [p-yrs]) was higher than the rate for the 2019-2020 cold season (27.5 per 100,000 p-yrs). In 2020-2021, frostbite was the most common type of cold injury among active component service members in all 4 services. Among active component members during the 2016-2021 cold seasons, overall rates of cold injuries were generally highest among male service members, non-Hispanic Black service members, the youngest (less than 20 years old), and those who were enlisted. The number of cold inju­ries associated with overseas deployments during the 2020-2021 cold season (n=10) was the lowest count during the 5-year surveillance period. Immersion foot accounted for half (n=5) of the cold weather injuries diagnosed and treated in service members deployed outside of the U.S. during the 2020-2021 cold season.

Language: en