Several Kansas City Chiefs fans who attended the January 13 playoff game at the GEHA Field in Arrowhead Stadium suffered frostbite after enduring subzero temperatures.
And now they are now being advised to schedule amputations.
Fans bundled up to watch the Chiefs crush the visiting Miami Dolphins 26-7 at the matchup that historically became the coldest for the venue at minus four degrees Fahrenheit.
The wind chill was minus 27 degrees Fahrenheit at the 7:10 p.m. kickoff. It was deemed the fourth coldest kickoff temperature in NFL history and the third coldest kickoff wind chill in NFL history.
Temperatures dropped to minus eight at the end of the game.
According to Fox4, Dr. Megan Garcia, the medical director at the Grossman Burn Center at Research Medical Center, said 70% of the patients who reported frostbite injuries during the January cold are now being advised to have the affected areas amputated.
And a majority of those patients were at the Chiefs' playoff game.
Garcia told the media outlet about patients receiving the bad news, saying:
“The patients who had their frostbite injuries along with the Chiefs game, they are just getting to the point now we are starting to discuss their amputations that might be necessary."
Some Chiefs fans who suffered frostbite at bitter cold playoff game need amputations youtu.be
Social media users winced at the fans' misfortune.
Some showed no sympathy.
Others frowned at the NFL for not prioritizing the safety of the attending crowd by postponing the match.
However, one dedicated fan thought that making sacrifices for your team was the name of the game.
While the other 30% of patients will likely be spared amputation, Garcia said treatment is "still a lifelong process."
She continued:
“They’ll have sensitivity and pain for the rest of their lives and always will be more susceptible to frostbite in the future."
“So we are also educating them to make sure they stay warm for the years and months to come.”
According to the NHS, the blood in extreme cold temperatures, typically any temperature below 31° Fahrenheit, can be redirected away from the extremities like the hands, feet, ears, nose and lips.
When these parts of the body get colder, the fluid in the tissue can freeze into ice crystals, causing severe cell and tissue damage. The tissue can eventually die if blood is not restored to affected areas.
You can prevent getting frostbite by wearing multiple layers of clothing, well-insulated boots with a thick pair of well-fitting socks, mittens as they provide better protection in the cold than gloves , and a weatherproof hat that covers your ears.
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