Polar vortex brings coldest air in a generation

Almost 50 frostbite victims were treated at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital in Chicago over the last two days.

"It’s a horrific situation," said Dr. Stathis Poulakidas, the head of Burn and Wound Care Services at Cook County Health.

Poulakidas said they’ve seen “horrific injuries to feet and hands” due to Chicago’s brutally cold temperatures. Some of the injuries were so severe that some patients may lose limbs.

Doctors tried to use “alternative services” to save limbs on 12 patients in the last 24 hours.

Frostbite in these extreme conditions can set in three to 10 minutes depending on age, exposure and other factors like wet gloves and socks, or even alcohol consumption, Poulakidas said. The victims included a mix of the homeless and people working outdoors. 

Doctors also saw patients who suffered burns and smoke inhalation from space heaters or moved grills indoors for warmth, Poulakidas said.

Noreen Keeney, spokesperson for Cook County Health, said that even as temperatures begin to rise on Friday, they are expecting an uptick in frostbite cases of people who put off medical treatment.  

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