Falls Dangerous Side Effect Of Northwest Arkansas Weather

Emergency calls from people who have fallen have increased with winter weather, first responders said Monday.

Car accidents might look dramatic, but the injuries the Rogers Fire Department is responding to are happening before people get out of the driveway, said Tom Jenkins, fire chief.

“We tend to focus so much on streets,” Jenkins said. “It’s all those things we’re not thinking about” that can also cause problems.

About half of the medical calls the Rogers department headed to Monday morning were related to the weather, he said.

“It’s not snow alone that we’re dealing with. We’re dealing with ice and a lot of refreezing,” Jenkins said.

The thin sheen of ice that accumulated early Sunday caught a lot of people by surprise, said Jim Vaughan, Springdale Fire Department division chief of operations. Since the winter weather moved in Friday to mid-Monday, there were about a dozen calls specifically for fall victims, but four of those were in an hour time period just before noon Sunday.

“We’re seeing some fractures and dislocations from awkward falls on the ice,” Vaughan said.

Both Jenkins and Vaughan said the roads Monday were the worst they have been in the past week.

“Ultimately, some of this stuff just has to wait,” Jenkins said. “If I’m not at work, I’m not getting out in it.”

A full day of sunshine and temperatures well above freezing will help melt the ice- and snow-packed roads and sidewalks, said Peter Snyder, meteorologist with the Tulsa, Okla., office of the National Weather Service.

“After Wednesday, things will be considerably easier for those areas that are just kind of slick,” Snyder said.

Temperatures that hover between 30 and 32 degrees make sidewalks and roads more dangerous than single-digit temperatures, he said.

A little solar radiation coming through the clouds and a rise in temperatures can compact snow and melt the top layer of the frozen precipitation, Snyder said. That can create a layer of water on top of the frozen ice and snow, and the water, like a lubricant, will keep shoes and tires from making firm contact with the ground.

Sidewalks that have been cleared need to be treated before they’ll be safe. Early morning hours are the worst for black ice, he said. Salt will help melt precipitation but not in the pre-dawn chill.

“The main thing is to get something that will give you traction. Sand will always do that,” Snyder said.

Children, the elderly and pregnant women carry the highest risk for injury from falls, said Dr. Raj Dondeti, a physician with Mercy Clinics.

“Anyone that falls has a risk for injury,” Dondeti said.

Expectant mothers should use caution and hold onto something when they get in or out of a car.

An older person who has lost calcium in his or her bones is more prone to hip, femur or pelvic fractures, and even small fractures can cause complications, Dondeti said.

A young child’s skull is more elastic and can take more impact, but young children who are bleeding from the head, become confused, start throwing up or get worsening headaches after a fall should be examined by a physician, he said. The effects of a concussion can be cumulative, and if a child falls, parents should try to make sure they don’t repeat the injury and they get adequate rest. Video games do not count as rest, but sleep does, Dondeti said.

Wearing a bicycle helmet during sledding could protect a child, he said.

Anyone with a life-threatening or significant injury, such as a broken bone protruding from the skin, should be taken immediately to an emergency room. If there is a minor sprain or a possible fracture, families can save money and time by avoiding emergency room lines and visiting a clinic or family physician. Injuries likely to bring complications will still be referred to the hospital, he said.

“It’s a bit of common sense,” Dondeti said.

Staff at Washington Regional Medical Center’s emergency department have treated several people for injuries related to icy falls, said Gina Maddox, spokeswoman.

Head injuries are a primary concern, Maddox said, especially for patients on blood-thinning medication.

Medications for blood pressure and heart or diuretics and tranquilizers can affect balance, according to the National Institute of Health.

A fracture during a fall is the result of three factors: the fall itself, the force of the fall and the fragility of a person’s bones, according to the institute.

It is better to be safe than sorry in winter weather, Jenkins said. A bad case of cabin fever might be more affordable than a broken bone.

It is easy to tell people to stay inside, but for work or other reasons, people are likely to face the weather, Vaughan said.

People who are required to wear dress shoes for work should pack them along but wear shoes with some traction for the commute.

“Plan for what’s out there,” Vaughan said.

Even if a person only plans on going to the mailbox, they should wear proper shoes and warm clothing in case a fall keeps them outside longer than planned. If a person falls and cannot get up, it might take some time to get the attention of a neighbor

“It doesn’t take a long time in these temperatures to get cold,” Vaughan said.