Dr. Megan Garcia, Medical Director of the Grossman Burn Center at Research Medical in Kansas City, Missouri, recently stated that 70% of patients who have been referred to her center for frostbite now need amputations. Many of these patients attended the Kansas City Chiefs playoff game against the Miami Dolphins at Arrowhead Stadium on January 13, 2024. The Athletic explains:

That contest began with a temperature of minus-4 at kickoff and a windchill that dipped to minus-27, making it one of the four coldest games in NFL history.

Frostbite occurs when skin freezes, thus limiting blood flow to the tissues in that area. While mild frostbite, often referred to as frostnip, does not cause permanent damage, severe frostbite can lead to permanent damage and almost always requires amputation.
  • YearOfTheCommieDesktop [they/them]
    hexbear
    38
    edit-2
    3 months ago

    Jesus. Not gonna lie that game should have been canceled. You cannot safely have a football game in an open-air stadium when it's -4F out and windy. this is literally just the most predictable thing in the world. Even if you were sitting there in your heated jacket and big gloves and geared up to the hilt, sitting stationary in those temps is gonna get cold as fuck over the course of a game. especially since sitting in a chair compresses the insulation of your jacket/snow pants/etc