A mid-Missouri doctor is urging people to be careful around ice.
Dr. Christopher Sampson of MU Health Care sees a lot of “slip and fall” injuries during and after ice storms. He recommends being careful and planning ahead.
“Look outside and check. Salting your walks is also helpful, or your steps, that will likely prevent injuries from falls,” says Sampson.
Dr. Sampson sees multiple injuries from ice.
“So you’ll see people who sprain their ankles, break their ankles, back injuries,” Sampson says. “And it’s often, everyone talks about black ice with driving, but sometimes you may not even notice that ice that’s on your front steps when you step out, and that’s why these people end up falling and injuring themselves.”
Dr. Sampson also urges Missourians to bundle up in the cold and to cover exposed skin. He says frostbite happens quickly, especially when the wind chill is below freezing.
“I’ve seen people who, their car’s broken down and they’re just outside trying to change a tire and they’ve quickly developed frostbite in that limited time it was to fix a tire,” Sampson says.
Because of the extreme cold, MODOT is urging Missourians to drive with a full tank of gasoline and to have extra blankets and gloves with them.
MU Health Care, which has about 6,000 health professionals, has facilities and clinics throughout Missouri.