Suspected hypothermia deaths in homes rise in Texas

DALLAS (AP) – With snow and ice clearing in Texas after days of unusually cold temperatures, bodies are found of people who likely froze to death as they struggled to stay warm after the power cut in homes. million homes

Of the roughly 70 deaths attributed to snow, ice and freezing temperatures across the country, more than a dozen were people who perished in homes that had lost their heat, and most of them fell. were in Texas. They include an 11-year-old boy who died in his bed in Conroe, near Houston, and two older men found dead at their home in the small town of Buffalo Gap, West Texas, in Taylor County.

Taylor County Sheriff Ricky Bishop said his office had received numerous calls in recent days asking for checks on friends or family who may be suffering from the power outages.

“I can think of probably a point in an hour when we probably got 10 of those calls,” Bishop said, adding that some of the county’s roads were covered in 4 feet (120 centimeters) deep snowfall.

Hypothermia can set in if the body loses heat faster than it can produce it and if it drops below about 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Normal body temperature is around 98.6 degrees.

“After hours and hours this leads to a very dangerous condition,” said Dr. Robert Glatter, emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.

Matt Zavadsky, a spokesperson for Fort Worth area ambulance provider MedStar, said most of the hypothermia calls they received were from people living in their homes, where temperatures had dropped to 50 degrees or less.

MedStar peaked on Wednesday with 77 calls for hypothermia, Zavadsky said. Some people have reported numb hands and feet, while others have had more severe symptoms.

“You had people who were so cold for so long that they were shivering uncontrollably, they might have had a decreased level of consciousness, which is not uncommon when you are hypothermic for an extended period of time,” did he declare.

Some who were transported to hospitals had reached the point where they were no longer shaking, “which is a very bad sign,” Zavadsky said.

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At first, the body will try to generate heat by shivering and increasing its heart rate. But if internal temperatures continue to drop, “these things are starting to slow down,” said Dr. Jeff Pothof, emergency doctor at UW Health in Madison, Wisconsin. The body will restrict blood flow to the extremities to keep blood in the core and keep internal organs warm.

Left untreated, hypothermia begins to affect the brain, making it difficult to think clearly or move easily.

“You might not understand exactly what’s going on,” Potfhof said. “And it’s a vicious cycle because you can’t take the necessary action. “

Some of the elderly who died in Texas have been found outside their homes. It was not immediately clear what prompted them to go out.

Poor circulation ultimately prevents the heart, brain, and other vital organs from functioning, resulting in death. About 32 people die of the cold each year in the United States, according to the National Weather Service.

Prolonged single-digit nightly lows – as Texans experienced this week – can be especially dangerous, Glatter said, as body temperatures naturally drop overnight.

“It can get over you,” he says, especially if the confusion has started to set in. “Your ability to think clearly is not as good, so people are likely not to notice these signs and symptoms. “

Babies, children, and the elderly are at greatest risk for hypothermia due to poor circulation and poor temperature regulation. People with heart problems, asthma, emphysema, chronic lung disease, diabetes, and smoking are also vulnerable.

Some strategies for staying warm can be more dangerous than helpful.

Coiling too much under blankets or layers of clothing can be dangerous if it causes excessive sweating, which can draw heat away from the body.

And during weather-related blackouts, people can use propane heaters, run generators, or burn charcoal or wood indoors, which can lead to dangerous fires or fatal poisoning. to carbon monoxide.

“These are all setups for disaster,” Glatter said.

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Renault reported from New York.

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