Chiefs fans who endured record cold temperatures at Arrowhead Stadium in January were among those who needed amputations after being treated for frostbite, according to Research Medical Center.
Around 30 patients were treated at Research Medical Center for injuries due to bitter cold conditions that persisted in January, according to burn physician specialist Dr. Megan Garcia. The hospital didn’t specify exactly how many had been in attendance at the Jan. 13 Wild Card game against the Miami Dolphins — the fourth coldest game in NFL history, and the coldest Chiefs game ever.
Of those patients who were treated, 12 have undergone amputation surgeries. The hospital expects more patients to require surgeries over the next few weeks as they continue to treat patients and monitor their recoveries.
Arrowhead opened warming stations around the stadium, offered free hot chocolate and encouraged fans to wear lots of layers to stay safe in frigid conditions.
At the game, the Kansas City Fire Department received nearly 70 calls for service, with about half related to signs of hypothermia as temperatures dropped to minus 6 degrees with a wind chill of minus 27 degrees, according to Michael Hopkins, a spokesman for the department.
Of those calls, 15 people were hospitalized, including seven for hypothermia and three for frostbite. The other five were hospitalized for injuries unrelated to the cold, Hopkins said. The fire department’s numbers do not include anyone who sought help at an aid tent in Arrowhead run by the University of Kansas Medical Center.
