| 1 | DVBCWCI1 ;ALB/CMM COLD INJURY PROTOCOL EXAM WKS TEXT - 1 ; 7 MARCH 1997
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| 2 |  ;;2.7;AMIE;**12**;Apr 10, 1995
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| 3 |  ;
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| 4 |  ;
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| 5 | TXT ;
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| 6 |  ;;Narration:  Veterans during World War II, the Korean War, and in smaller 
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| 7 |  ;;numbers during other campaigns, have suffered cold injuries, including
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| 8 |  ;;frostbite (freezing cold injury or FCI) and immersion foot (nonfreezing 
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| 9 |  ;;cold injury or NCI).  Documentation of such injuries may be lacking 
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| 10 |  ;;because of battlefield conditions.  A number of long-term and delayed
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| 11 |  ;;sequelae to cold injuries are recognized, including peripheral neuropathy, 
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| 12 |  ;;skin cancer in frostbite scars, and arthritis in involved limbs.
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| 13 |  ;;
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| 14 |  ;;Review Examination:  Any veteran examined for residuals of cold injury
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| 15 |  ;;should undergo a cold injury protocol examination IF it has not already 
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| 16 |  ;;been carried out.  If the veteran has already had a cold injury protocol 
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| 17 |  ;;examination, only an interval history is required, and the extent of 
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| 18 |  ;;the examination, laboratory tests performed, etc., will be determined
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| 19 |  ;;by the examiner based on the history, and as requested.
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| 20 |  ;;
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| 21 |  ;;A.  Review of Medical Records:
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| 22 |  ;;
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| 23 |  ;;
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| 24 |  ;;
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| 25 |  ;;B.  Medical History (Subjective Complaints):
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| 26 |  ;;
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| 27 |  ;;HISTORY OF COLD INJURY:  If the cold injury protocol form has been 
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| 28 |  ;;filled out by the veteran, most details about the circumstances of the
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| 29 |  ;;acute cold injury and its subsequent course will be recorded.  Review
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| 30 |  ;;for any needed expansion or clarification by the veteran.  If the 
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| 31 |  ;;protocol history form has not been completed, obtain the following 
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| 32 |  ;;history and comment on each:
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| 33 |  ;;
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| 34 |  ;;    1.  Description of the circumstances of the cold injury.
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| 35 |  ;;
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| 36 |  ;;
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| 37 |  ;;    2.  Parts of the body affected.
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| 38 |  ;;
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| 39 |  ;;
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| 40 |  ;;    3.  Signs and symptoms - at time of acute injury.
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| 41 |  ;;
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| 42 |  ;;
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| 43 |  ;;    4.  The type of treatment and where it was administered.
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| 44 |  ;;
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| 45 |  ;;
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| 46 |  ;;    5.  Any treatment since service - where and what type.
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| 47 |  ;;
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| 48 |  ;;
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| 49 |  ;;    6.  Current symptoms - specifically inquire about:
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| 50 |  ;;
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| 51 |  ;;        a.  Amputations or other tissue loss.
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| 52 |  ;;
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| 53 |  ;;
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| 54 |  ;;        b.  Cold sensitization.
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| 55 |  ;;
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| 56 |  ;;
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| 57 |  ;;        c.  Raynaud's phenomenon.
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| 58 |  ;;
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| 59 |  ;;
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| 60 |  ;;        d.  Hyperhidrosis.
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| 61 |  ;;
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| 62 |  ;;
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| 63 |  ;;        e.  Paresthesias, numbness.
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| 64 |  ;;
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| 65 |  ;;
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| 66 |  ;;        f.  Chronic pain resembling causalgia or reflex sympathetic dystrophy.
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| 67 |  ;;
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| 68 |  ;;
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| 69 |  ;;        g.  Recurrent fungal infections.
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| 70 |  ;;
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| 71 |  ;;
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| 72 |  ;;        h.  Breakdown or ulceration of frostbite scars.
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| 73 |  ;;
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| 74 |  ;;
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| 75 |  ;;        i.  Disturbances of nail growth.
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| 76 |  ;;
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| 77 |  ;;
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| 78 |  ;;        j.  Skin cancer in chronic ulcers or scars.
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| 79 |  ;;
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| 80 |  ;;
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| 81 |  ;;        k.  Arthritis or joint stiffness, including limitation of 
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| 82 |  ;;            motion of affected areas.
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| 83 |  ;;
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| 84 |  ;;
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| 85 |  ;;        l.  Edema.
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| 86 |  ;;
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| 87 |  ;;
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| 88 |  ;;        m.  Changes in skin color.
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| 89 |  ;;
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| 90 |  ;;
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| 91 |  ;;        n.  Skin thickening or thinning.
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| 92 |  ;;
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| 93 |  ;;
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| 94 |  ;;        o.  Any sleep disturbance due to associated symptoms.
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| 95 |  ;;
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| 96 |  ;;
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| 97 |  ;;        p.  Cold feeling (relationship to season or not).
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| 98 |  ;;
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| 99 |  ;;
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| 100 |  ;;        q.  Numbness, tingling, burning.
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| 101 |  ;;
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| 102 |  ;;
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| 103 |  ;;        r.  Excess sweating.
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| 104 |  ;;
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| 105 |  ;;
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| 106 |  ;;        s.  Pain - location, intensity, constancy, precipitating 
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| 107 |  ;;            factors (cold, walking, standing, night pain); type 
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| 108 |  ;;            (sharp burning, etc.).
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| 109 |  ;;
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| 110 |  ;;
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| 111 |  ;;    7.  Current treatment, including nonmedical measures taken - moving 
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| 112 |  ;;        to warmer climate, wearing multiple pairs of socks, etc.
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| 113 |  ;;
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| 114 |  ;;
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| 115 |  ;;OTHER MEDICAL HISTORY:
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| 116 |  ;;
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| 117 |  ;;    1.  Major illnesses, surgery, current medical conditions and their
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| 118 |  ;;        treatment, including diabetes mellitus or hypertension.  
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| 119 |  ;;
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| 120 |  ;;
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| 121 |  ;;    2.  Smoking history, other risk factors for vascular disease, 
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| 122 |  ;;        history of skin cancer.
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| 123 |  ;;
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| 124 |  ;;
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| 125 |  ;;C.  Physical Examination (Objective Findings):
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| 126 |  ;;
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| 127 |  ;;    Address each of the following and fully describe current findings:
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| 128 |  ;;    1.  General:  Carriage, gait, posture.
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| 129 |  ;;
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| 130 |  ;;
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| 131 |  ;;    2.  Skin:
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| 132 |  ;;        a.  Color.
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| 133 |  ;;        b.  Edema.
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| 134 |  ;;        c.  Temperature.
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| 135 |  ;;        d.  Atrophy.
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| 136 |  ;;        e.  Dry or moist.
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| 137 |  ;;        f.  Texture.
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| 138 |  ;;        g.  Ulceration.
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| 139 |  ;;        h.  Hair growth.
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| 140 |  ;;        i.  Evidence of fungus or other infection.
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| 141 |  ;;
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| 142 |  ;;
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| 143 |  ;;    3.  Scars:
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| 144 |  ;;        a.  Location.
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| 145 |  ;;        b.  Length.
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| 146 |  ;;        c.  Width.
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| 147 |  ;;        d.  Color.
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| 148 |  ;;        e.  Tenderness.
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| 149 |  ;;        f.  Raised or depressed.
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| 150 |  ;;        g.  If of head or neck, any disfigurement.
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| 151 |  ;;
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| 152 |  ;;
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| 153 |  ;;    4.  Nails:
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| 154 |  ;;        a.  All or part missing. 
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| 155 |  ;;        b.  Evidence of fungus infection. 
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| 156 |  ;;        c.  Deformed or atrophic. 
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| 157 |  ;;
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| 158 |  ;;
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| 159 |  ;;    5.  Neurological:
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| 160 |  ;;        a.  Reflexes.
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| 161 |  ;;        b.  Sensory  -  subjective complaints of pain, numbness, etc., 
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| 162 |  ;;            Objective sensory changes - pinprick, touch.
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| 163 |  ;;        c.  Motor  -  weakness, atrophy.
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| 164 |  ;;
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| 165 |  ;;
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| 166 |  ;;    6.  Orthopedic:
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| 167 |  ;;        a.  Pain or stiffness of any joints affected by cold injury.
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| 168 |  ;;        b.  Deformity or swelling of any joints.
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| 169 |  ;;        c.  Measure range of motion of all affected joints.
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| 170 |  ;;        d.  Strength of ligaments in affected areas.
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| 171 |  ;;        e.  Pes planus.
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| 172 |  ;;        f.  Callus.
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| 173 |  ;;        g.  Pain on manipulation of joints.
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| 174 |  ;;        h.  Loss of tissue of digits or other affected parts.
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| 175 |  ;;
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| 176 |  ;;
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| 177 |  ;;    7.  Vascular:
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| 178 |  ;;        a.  Status of peripheral pulses.
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| 179 |  ;;        b.  Doppler study to confirm vascular compromise, if indicated.
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| 180 |  ;;        c.  Evidence of vascular insufficiency - edema, hair loss, 
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| 181 |  ;;            shiny atrophic skin, etc.
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| 182 |  ;;        d.  Blood pressure in arms and legs (is ratio normal?)
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| 183 |  ;;        e.  Evidence of Raynaud's phenomenon.
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| 184 |  ;;
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| 185 |  ;;
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| 186 |  ;;D.  Diagnostic and Clinical Tests:
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| 187 |  ;;
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| 188 |  ;;    Provide:
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| 189 |  ;;    1.  X-rays of affected areas of extremities if never done or if 
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| 190 |  ;;        not done in past five years.
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| 191 |  ;;    2.  Doppler study of blood vessels, if indicated.
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| 192 |  ;;    3.  Nerve conduction of studies, if indicated.
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| 193 |  ;;    4.  Biopsy of any area suspicious for malignancy.
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| 194 |  ;;    5.  Scrapings to confirm fungus infection.
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| 195 |  ;;    6.  Include results of all diagnostic and clinical tests conducted
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| 196 |  ;;        in the examination report.
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| 197 |  ;;
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| 198 |  ;;
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| 199 |  ;;E.  Diagnosis:
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| 200 |  ;;
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| 201 |  ;;    1.  List each diagnosis and state whether related to cold injury 
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| 202 |  ;;        (if that can be determined).
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| 203 |  ;;    2.  Specialty exams that might be needed:
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| 204 |  ;;
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| 205 |  ;;        a.  Neurology.
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| 206 |  ;;        b.  Podiatry.
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| 207 |  ;;        c.  Dermatology.
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| 208 |  ;;        d.  Rheumatology.
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| 209 |  ;;        e.  Others as needed.
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| 210 |  ;;
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| 211 |  ;;
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| 212 |  ;;Signature:                             Date:
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| 213 |  ;;END
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