Winter safety tips

It's been a hectic day for hospital emergency rooms.

Dr. Donald Linder, an emergency department physician at St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids, said a spate of minor vehicle accidents kept emergency workers busy.

“People need to remember how to drive in winter, wet conditions,” he said. “People just need to be aware of their surroundings and slow down.”

Other problems arose with the winter storm that hit the state overnight.

Linder said one man was in surgery and will likely lose some fingers after he tried to unclog snow stuck in a snowblower.

Three people were brought in with chest pains, including one who suffered a heart attack, he said.

Linder said anyone at risk of high blood pressure or heart problems should get clearance from their doctor for snow shoveling or other physically exerting tasks.

“Know what your limitations are,” he said. “Do one-half (of the shoveling) at a time or one-fourth.”

Linder also advised people going outdoors to dress in layers and pay attention to the feet, hands and face, the areas where frostbite is most likely to occur.

Numbness or pain in those extremities is a sign they should come indoors and warm the skin with warm - not hot - water, he said.

Other winter tips from St. Luke's, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Iowa Department of Public Health include:

Hypothermia

Warning signs include confusion or sleepiness; slowed, slurred speech, or shallow breathing; weak pulse or low blood pressure; a change in behavior; severe shivering or no shivering; poor control over body movements or slow reactions.

Get the victim into a warm room or shelter; remove clothes if they are wet; warm the center of the body first - chest, neck, head, groin - using an electric blanket if one is available; use skin-to-skin contact under loose, dry layers of blankets, clothing, towels; give warm beverages and get medical attention as soon as possible. If victim is unconscious, CPR may be necessary.

Frostbite

Signs include a white or grayish-yellow area on skin; skin that feels unusually firm or waxy and numbness.

Get medical care. If there is no sign of hypothermia, or medical care is not available, get person into a warm room as soon as possible; do not walk or use frostbitten extremities; immerse injured area in warm water and warm injured area with body heat. Don't use a heating pad, heat lamp or heat of a stove, fireplace or radiator because injured areas can be easily burned.

Carbon Monoxide

Warning signs of exposure in low concentrations include fatigue in healthy people and chest pain in people with heart disease.

At higher concentrations signs are impaired vision and coordination; headaches; dizziness; confusion and nausea.

Flu-like symptoms that diminish with exposure to fresh air are a warning sign. Exposure at very high concentrations can be fatal.

For prevention, keep gas appliances properly adjusted; use proper fuel in kerosene space heaters; open flues when fireplaces are in use; do not idle the car inside a garage; choose properly sized wood stoves that are certified to meet EPA emission standards; make sure that doors on all wood stoves fit tightly; do not use outdoor grills for heat or cooking inside your home and do not run gas-powered generators in your home.

Others

Tell someone where you are going if you leave the house during a storm and tell them when you expect to return. Falls resulting in injuries are common on icy drives and streets.

Check on older neighbors and family members frequently. You may want to invite them into your home if power goes out.

Seek alternative shelter if you believe conditions in your home are unhealthy or unsafe.

Use a battery-powered or crank-powered emergency radio to stay informed during a power outage.

Put together an emergency box with blankets and sleeping bags; matches; first-aid kit; candles; flashlight or battery-powered lantern; battery-powered radio; battery-powered clock or watch; extra batteries; non-electric can opener; snow shovel; rock salt; games, playing cards and books; special needs items (diapers, hearing aid batteries, medications); food items that do not require cooking or refrigeration, such as bread, crackers, cereal, canned foods; water stored in clean containers (at least five gallons per person.)

Travel with a charged cell phone and emergency kit.

If stranded, carbon monoxide poisoning could become a concern when staying in an idling cars.

Make sure your exhaust pipe is free from snow before starting your vehicle and do not sit in a parked vehicle with the engine running, unless a window is cracked open.

Tie a brightly colored cloth to the antenna as a signal to rescuers.

While waiting for assistance, run the motor (and heater) for about ten minutes per hour, opening one window slightly to let in air.

Power out?

Water pipes

Pipes are unlikely to freeze until outside temperatures drop below zero.

Let hot and cold water trickle from a faucet on an outside wall.

Open cabinet doors under sinks.

Seal holes in the foundation that permit cold air to enter the crawl space.

Staying warm

Wear layers of clothing, cover up with blankets and concentrate activity in the warmest room of the house. Close off other rooms.

If using a kerosene heater or fuel space heater, ventilate properly and only refuel outdoors when the unit is cool. Note: Turning on a gas oven with the door open can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.

If outage is prolonged, go to a friend's home, a motel or an emergency shelter.

Lights

Round up batteries and flashlights and use sparingly. Be careful with candles or kerosene lamps to avoid fire.

Run generators outside only, downwind of homes. Do not connect a generator to a home's electrical system unless you have an approved power transfer switch.

Disconnect appliances and electronics that could be damaged by power surges.

Food

Do not use LP barbecue grills, charcoal grills or camping stoves indoors because of carbon monoxide danger. Use only outdoors.

If the power's out for two hours or less, the food in the refrigerator should be fine. After that, use a digital thermometer to check the food's internal temperature. Perishable foods above 40 degrees should be discarded.

Frozen foods can keep for about 24 hours in a relatively full freezer.

Tip: Put perishables in an unheated garage to keep cool.