Local Doctor Warns With More Ice, Comes More Falls, Comes More Injuries
By Kristen Johanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - With an ice storm sweeping across the Delaware Valley, on top of the already frozen roads and sidewalks, driving and walking is more dangerous.
As the winter cycle continues -- snow, melt, freeze, repeat -- with ice, comes the slipping, sliding and falling. Dr. Theodore Christopher at Jefferson University Hospital says there has been a definite increase in ice-related injuries this winter:
"The most common is the extremity injuries that we see. The broken wrists and the sprained shoulders and the fractured knees and fractured ankles."
Dr. Christopher says if you fall, it could be more serious than you think:
"If you see a deformity in that's obvious there, or if there is swelling or black and blue in that area, and it really just hurts you to move that joint or that bone than there's a good chance that there is something broken in that extremity."
On Sunday in the city, walkers like Jesse were trying to side step the ice:
"It's been pretty slippery -- trying not to fall."
Boris and his best fur-friend, JoJo, also came out in the icy conditions:
"JoJo don't like it much, but he has no choice, he has to go out. We are happy to be here. It's winter time and it's wonderful, even if it's a little bit slippery."
Dr. Christopher says that if you must go out, be sure to bundle up and take extra care walking around, so you don't end in the emergency room.