Key points from today’s guests:
Dr. Dhaval Bhavsar, burn surgeon, The University of Kansas Health System
- Frostbite can happen in as little as 15-20 minutes. If you are working outdoors, make sure your skin is protected.
- For kids, make sure their skin is covered and they are not outside for too long in extremely cold temperatures. It is very common for us to see frostbite in kids on the tip of the nose.
- Many people don’t think of burn clinics for frostbite, but we are prepared to help, especially during the cold winter months.
Dr. Jessica Kalender-Rich, geriatric medicine, The University of Kansas Health System
- When it is icy outside, wearing the right shoes can help, especially for older people.
- Make sure older people with balance issues have some extra support when walking outside.
- Find others who can help run errands, like picking up prescriptions from the pharmacy, to limit the time needed for older people to go out in inclement weather.
Dr. Travis Love, cardiologist, The University of Kansas Health System
- Inactivity can be a big problem during the winter months. It’s hard to get outside and walk when it is cold and icy.
- It is still important to be active, whether it is at home, at a gym or just walking at a mall or store.
- Another issue is health symptoms where people do not seek medical attention due to the weather. Just because the weather is bad does not mean you should not seek medical attention.
- When shoveling snow, make sure you are healthy enough to do that. Don’t put yourself in a situation where you doing more physical exertion than you are used to.
Dr. Bryan Beaver, emergency medicine, The University of Kansas Health System
- In life-threatening situations, before coming to the emergency department in dangerous weather, use resources like talking to your primary care physician to determine if you need to come in.
- Our ambulances still operate every day of the year, so you can always call 911 in the worst of weather if you need medical help.
- Carbon monoxide poisoning increased during winter weather. We see people who inadvertently leave their garage door closed when warming up the car in the garage or generators used indoors during power outages.
Friday, January 12 at 8 a.m. is the next Morning Medical Update. The Metro area is just digging out from a winter storm, and getting ready for another one on Friday. This time the temperatures will be brutally cold. We’ll have advice for keeping safe, especially if you’re headed to the Chiefs playoff game on Saturday night.
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