Tulsa Hospitals Treating Patients For Cold Exposure, Frostbite

The Tulsa Fire Department has responded to almost two dozen cold-related emergencies since Jan. 1.

Health experts said the mild December weather followed by a sudden cold snap to start the year hit some people hard. Hillcrest Medical Center said the staff is treating two people for frostbite. Other hospitals around Green Country have seen several patients for cold exposure.

EMSA's Eastern Division reported it has responded to 12 cold exposure calls since Wednesday.

Shawn Burch, EMSA clinical coordinator, and paramedic said the recent temperature swings catch some people off guard.

"It warms up in the 50s. People get kind of, 'Oh, hey. It's nice, it's cool. Well, tomorrow, it's 16 degrees, and I'm not ready for that. I don't think ahead,’” explained Burch. “And we don't realize, because we don't live in it, how quickly it can affect us."

Inside the Alexander Burn Center at Hillcrest in Tulsa, the staff is treating two patients with frostbite.

"In the wintertime, you see a lot of frostbite with people who are outside in the extreme cold weather with mainly fingers and toes, but sometimes you get ears and nose that get frostbite," explained Wendi Slay, a nurse in the burn center for more than 20 years.

Slay said frostbite can lead to permanent nerve damage and even amputations in the most severe cases. Slay described what frostbite looks like in different stages and how it may feel.

"The colors of your fingers or toes could be like a light pink to pale, it's cold to the touch, and it's numb," said Slay.

To avoid frostbite or hypothermia, experts recommend dressing in layers, avoiding alcohol, and limiting your time outside.

If you think it may be frostbite, experts urge you to get help right away and not to run hot water over the injured area.

" 'Now, I can't feel my fingers, so how do I know if it's not too hot?’ " said, Burch. “The other side of that is, ‘I'm going to go thaw my fingers out, I'm going to go back outside. Is it going to refreeze?’ That causes more tissue damage."

OSU Medical Center said it has treated five patients for cold exposure in the last five days.

Saint Francis and Ascension St. John did not provide data.