Brutal playoff game against the Chiefs on January 13th Dolphin My time at Arrowhead will be remembered forever. The -4 degree weather combined with -27 degree winds made this game one of the coldest in NFL history. Two months after the fight, some fans are still feeling the effects, and perhaps for the rest of their lives.
FOX4 in Kansas City reported that an astonishing 70 percent of those who had to seek medical attention for frostbite due to the game now face the reality of amputation.. This includes a fan who took off his gloves for five minutes to set up a tent in a parking lot, and is now debating whether his fingers should be amputated.
Fans affected by the cold are now reporting to the Grossman Burn Center in Kansas City as part of their recovery. While some players have been lucky enough to regain feeling in their limbs after games after multiple treatments in hyperbaric oxygen chambers, more efforts are being made to educate the public about the dangers of frostbite.
All frostbite mechanisms share an underlying related factor: spending long periods of time in the cold without proper covering. As a result, the skin and other tissues freeze. Like standard burns, there are four stages of frostbite, and fourth-degree frostbite occurs when muscles are damaged by freezing. This often leads to amputation as the affected area cannot heal.
Dr. Megan Garcia, medical director of the Grossman Burn Center, told FOX4 that even those who are lucky enough to avoid amputation can suffer from symptoms for the rest of their lives.
“It’s still a lifelong process. They will have sensitivities and pain for the rest of their lives and will always be susceptible to frostbite in the future. So we want them to stay warm for years and months to come.” We also provide education,” Garcia said.
Perhaps next time the NFL will reconsider holding games outdoors in these conditions.
