Several football fans who suffered frostbite in a frigid Kansas City Chiefs playoff game in January may need amputations. During the wild card playoff game against the Miami Dolphins in Kansas City, the temperature dropped to -4 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wind gusts also reached up to 27 mph, causing a bone-chilling wind chill of -27 degrees. This game marked the fourth coldest in NFL history and the coldest ever experienced by the Chiefs franchise.
The day after the game, a Kansas City Fire Department spokesperson reported that about half of the 69 calls they handled during the event were related to hypothermia. Three people were taken for treatment for frostbite. However, authorities could not confirm the number of people who received care.
Dr. Megan Garcia, medical director of Research Medical Center’s Grossman Burn Center, has provided insight into the lasting effects faced by certain football fans.
Chiefs fan reportedly froze after taking gloves off for just five minutes
Dr. Garcia attended the second annual meeting at Research Medical Center, where burn survivors gathered Tuesday night. However, the burn center now deals with injuries caused by significantly different weather conditions.
“People think of burns, they think of fire, they think of hot thermal injuries. But burns can occur from many different causes,” Garcia told Kansas City’s Fox 4. In January, Dr. Garcia told the outlet that she had treated numerous cases of frostbite this season. Among those affected were Chiefs fans who braved the cold weather to attend the playoff game against the Dolphins.
HCA Midwest Health posted photos of a fan’s hand. The fan briefly removed his gloves for five minutes to set up a tent outside Arrowhead Stadium. “The patients who suffered frostbite injuries in conjunction with the Chiefs game are just getting to the point where we are now beginning to discuss that their amputations may be necessary,” Dr. Garcia said Tuesday.
He explained that 70% of patients with frostbite injuries earlier this year are now recommended to undergo amputation. About 30% of people who avoid amputation after receiving treatment in hyperbaric oxygen chambers will still have many reminders of their frostbite injuries. “It is still a lifelong process. They will have sensitivity and pain for the rest of their lives. [They] You will always be more susceptible to frostbite in the future. That’s why we are also educating them to make sure they stay warm for the years and months to come,” García explained.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn