KALAMAZOO (WKZO AM/FM) — If you think Bronson Methodist Hostpital’s emergency room has been busy for the past couple of weeks treating the victims of frostbite and hypothermia, you would be wrong.
Bronson Doctor Jessica J. McCoy who specializes in Emergency Medicine says they have seen very few cases of anyone suffering from the cold.
They have seen a lot more victims with bumps, bruises and fractures because they have slipped on the ice and fallen.
She says some elderly patients suffer more serious fractures because their bones are brittle.
She recommends good boots, use of handrails and greater care by all of us when we walk on slippery surfaces.
Dr. McCoy says most people know exactly how to avoid problems when it’s this cold. It is built into our survival instincts honed over the past few thousand years.
Most just stay home. She says their census for a whole range of problems goes down at the emergency room when temperatures dip.
Police agencies in South East Michigan are reporting the deaths of three women suffering from Alzheimers who have wandered out into the cold and died from exposure and hypothermia.
She says by and large the West Michigan population seems to have weathered the storm, at least so far.
