BALTIMORE — As students return to the classroom following the major winter storm, temperatures remain frigid with the risk of contracting frostbite during short periods outside, including while waiting for the bus.
According to Dr. Megan Cobb, a pediatric emergency physician at the University of Maryland Golisano Children's Hospital and assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, the signs of frostbite begin with fingers, toes, and face becoming deep red while losing sensation in fingers or toes.
Those symptoms can appear faster in certain people, such as those with sickle cell disease, who are considered extremely high-risk for frostbite.
"Frostbite for small children can set in within five to 10 minutes if they're not properly dressed," Dr. Cobb said. "For your average adult or teenager, maybe closer to 20 to 30 minutes. But are you also wet at the same time if you get splashed from some of the slush? Or have you been in and out of snow piles trying to navigate sidewalks that aren't clear yet? Unfortunately, there's not a straightforward answer, but it's important for people to know the smaller you are, or if you already have a chronic medical condition, the faster it can happen."
If you notice someone potentially experiencing frostbite, Dr. Cobb says the first thing you should do is ask if they can feel their fingers and toes.
With the potential for swollen fingers or toes, it's important to start the rewarming process as quickly as possible, according to Dr. Cobb.
"The best way to rewarm frostbitten injuries is to use warm, not hot, but warm running water or warm circulating water. Since most of us aren't around a jacuzzi, a warm running faucet should be just fine. Or you can use something like a warm blanket. You can warm a washcloth or face cloth and wrap that around the fingers or the toes," Dr. Cobb said.
It's important to note that those experiencing frostbite should not rub their hands together since it causes skin injuries. Rubbing could make those injuries worse.
Another important emphasis is using warm water rather than hot water when attempting to warm up.
"First, the rewarming process is going to take some time," Dr. Cobb said. "Using really hot water doesn't get you there any faster. Second, they're already numb. They don't have good sensation, which means that if you use really hot water, they can't tell you if you're burning them. And then you're adding one injury on top of another."
The key is dressing appropriately for the weather, wearing gloves, a hat, and appropriate footwear.
Dr. Cobb also added that having a plan for how you're getting to your destination before leaving home helps tremendously.
And for small children:
"Please make sure their little fingers are also covered. Mittens are easier to put on small hands than regular gloves. So if you want to save yourself a headache, I recommend going with mittens over gloves for small children. Also keep in mind, the smaller the child, the more heat they lose from the top of their heads. So please put a hat on the babies," Dr. Cobb said.
