As extremely cold temperatures persist across the region, Akron Children’s Burn Center is using a new frostbite treatment to reduce the risk of amputation.
Akron Children’s is one of only two hospitals in Ohio, along with the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, to use the IV medication called iloprost. It’s the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drug for treating severe frostbite in adults.
The brand formulation of the drug, Aurlumyn, was approved by the FDA in February 2024, but iloprost is already the standard of care in many European guidelines for treating severe frostbite, said Dr. Deepak Ozhathil, a burn surgeon at Akron Children’s…