Paddy foot: a warm water immersion foot syndrome variant. I. The natural disease, epidemiology

Abstract

Swelling, wrinkling and whiteness of the palms and soles after water soaking for about a half hour is a familiar occurrence. In the tropical environment of the Mekong River Delta in the Republic of Vietnam, the combat soldiers experienced epidemics of a distinctive warm water skin injury called 'paddy foot'. Indeed, the prevalence of paddy foot dictated the time limits that units could remain in battle in the Mekong Delta. The types and incidence of immersion foot noted in the Vietnamese conflict are described and factors in their development are discussed. Questions are posed regarding individual susceptibility, effect of duration of immersion, incidence of recurrence, the importance of particulate matter in causation, and the influence of unusual organisms or toxic substances. (16 references.)