Which term describes a superficial freezing injury?

• A. Frostbite
• B. Frostnip
• C. Hypothermia
• D. Fever

Answer: (B)

When cold exposure causes injury, depth matters. A superficial freezing injury affects only the surface of the skin and shallow tissues, and it is usually reversible with prompt warming. That’s frostnip: the skin may feel numb or tingling, look pale, and there’s no tissue death or blistering if addressed early. Frostbite, in contrast, involves deeper tissues where damage can occur, including potential tissue necrosis and blisters. Hypothermia is a systemic drop in core body temperature, not a localized, superficial injury, and fever is an elevated body temperature from illness, not freezing. So the term for a superficial freezing injury is frostnip.