ASK THE BPI
Your health questions answered
by Brown physicians
EXPERT
Brown Physicians, Inc. is a multispecialty group practice affiliated with the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. BPI serves
Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts with more than 500 primary care physicians and specialists to provide cutting-edge, team-based
care. In each issue of Health Discoveries, we’ll ask BPI doctors common health care questions. If you have a question for our doctors, send it to
[email protected].
How can I stay safe in
the ice and snow?
BUSINESS/GETTY
Ever y year, emergency depar tment
doctors see predictable illnesses and injuries
during the winter. While we are always there
to provide care, an ounce of prevention is
worth a pound of cure.
Slips and falls are very common as the
weather turns icy. Take care to sand and salt
your walkways to keep your family and neigh-
bors safe. Wear warm, comfortable boots
and shoes when you are trying to navigate
outdoors.
Snow removal presents challenges for
many. Snow shoveling is hard work (and good
exercise!), but can be overly strenuous for
those not used to heav y exertion. If you
develop chest pain or difficulty breathing
while shoveling, please STOP and call your
doctor, or go to the emergency department
for evaluation.
Finally, snowblowers can often become
blocked with ice or other debris. NEVER reach
into a snowblower to try and dislodge some-
thing; hand and finger injuries are extremely
common after these attempts.
—Alexis Lawrence, MD,
assistant professor of emer-
gency medicine, clinician
educator, at the Warren
Alpert Medical School. A
Brown Emergency Medi-
cine physician practicing at Rhode Island and
Miriam hospitals, Lawrence is also the assistant
medical director of the Emergency Department
at Rhode Island Hospital.
HEALTH DISCOVERIES l WINTER 2020 23