Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, January 22, 1994 TAG: 9401220249
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RON BROWN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Emergency rooms throughout the Roanoke and New River valleys were swamped as temperatures stalled in the subfreezing range and many sidewalks and parking lots remained unshoveled.
Thursday evening, 51 people were seen in the emergency room of Roanoke Memorial Hospital. Thirty-six of them received injuries from falls on ice; 17 had to be admitted.
Since last Saturday, 149 people were treated at Roanoke Memorial for ice-related injuries.
"We are seeing that more people are not getting around in their automobiles and have become pedestrians," said Vance Whitfield, a hospital spokesman. "People have been shut in the house so long that they are getting cabin fever and are getting out. They're not using the best of judgment."
Whitfield warns that the cleanup can be just as dangerous, if zealous ice shovelers overexert themselves and put a strain on their hearts and backs.
Among the injuries examined by Roanoke Memorial physicians were broken hips, arms, ankles, shoulders and wrists. Some people have suffered from exposure to the cold or had chest pains while trying to chip People have been shut in the house so long that they are getting cabin fever and are getting out. They're not using the best of judgment. Vance Whitfield Roanoke Memorial Hospital spokesman. away the ice.
Before Thursday, Roanoke Memorial estimated that its emergency room was treating 25 weather-related injuries daily since temperature dropped Jan. 14, after an arctic high pressure system pushed frigid air from Canada into the eastern United States.
Since Monday, Montgomery Regional Hospital treated an estimated 40 people for ice-related injuries. One case of frostbite was reported.
Orthopedic surgeons at Lewis-Gale Clinic in Salem also felt the sting of frigid weather.
Surgeons normally are on call in the evening. Thursday evening, a surgeon worked seven hours straight just to keep up with emergency room admissions.
The Lewis-Gale Hospital emergency room treated seven wrist injuries from falls between 7 and 9 p.m. Thursday.
Since last Saturday, Lewis-Gale treated 110 people for ice-related injuries. Fifty-six of those people had fractured bones.
Dr. Bruce Hagadorn, the clinic's medical director, said the clinic's surgeons are seeing more ice-related injuries daily that at any time in his 20 years of experience.
Ice-related injuries also dominated the time of emergency room physicians at Community Hospital on Thursday.
Page Pace, the hospital's spokeswoman, said 180 people were seen in Community's emergency room Thursday. Pace said 135 of those patients suffered ice-related injuries, such as cuts or broken bones.
"People are starting to venture out," she said. "I don't think many parking lots and sidewalks have been cleared."
Postal workers were among those most at risk.
Postmaster Billy Martin said nine carriers filed injury reports about falls on ice. He said another 25 to 30 fell but did not sustain injuries serious enough to justify a report.
Martin said 26 postal employees in Southwest and Central Virginia reported injuries.
While getting the mail delivered on time is a consideration, Martin says he stressed personal safety to his employees.
"I've told them not to take any unnecessary chances," Martin said.
by CNB