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Industry
Headlines
"Injured Fighters Help Unveil Burn Unit"
"Airbrush
Makeup Helps Burn Victim Recover Her Own Style"
"Budget
OK'd, But Struggle Over Burn Center Funding Continues"
"Tobacco-Rich
Kentucky Bans Sale of Conventional Cigarettes in Favor of Fire-Safe
Versions"
"The Home
Safety Council and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Introduce New Fire Department Research Identifying Public Safety
Needs"
"U.S.
Military Burn Patients Tour Center for Intrepid"
"Firefighters
to Rally for Burn Center Legislation"
"Hanna
Andersson Recalls Children's Loungewear Due to Burn Hazard"
"Don't
Let Hot Liquids Make You Feel the Burn"
"Growth
Deceleration and Restoration After Serious Burn Injury"
"Mind
Over Everything"
"Data
From Korea, Iran and Japan Advance Knowledge in Dermatology Research"
"Gevalia
Recalls Kaffe Combo Coffeemakers Due to Burn Hazard"
"Safety
Ranks High on the Minds of Electrical Contractors"
"The
Healing Power of Writing"
"Injured
Fighters Help Unveil Burn Unit"
Winnipeg Free
Press (04/05/07) Owen, Bruce
Fire fighters Ed Wiebe and Lionel Crowther
participated in the renaming ceremony for the Health Sciences Centre's
(HSC) new Manitoba Fire Fighters Burn Unit. Both fire fighters were injured
in a February 2007 house fire. Crowther commented that the unveiling
"is really about all fire fighters." Crowther and Wiebe, who both
suffered burns, commended the burn unit where they were out-patients; both
are now at home, continuing with therapy and wearing blue pressure sleeves
to help their skin grafts heal. Martin Johnson, the Burn Fund chairman, has
raised over $4 million over the past three decades for burn treatment
programs at HSC. Johnson explained that the renovated burn unit will admit
hundreds of burn patients from Manitoba
and surrounding areas, and dubbed it among the best North American
treatment centers. The HSC's new $135 million Ann Thomas
Building houses the
unit, which also has a new medical director eager to initiate a new
rehabilitation and treatment system. According to Johnson, establishing an
endowment fund for burn care research is his next step.
"Airbrush
Makeup Helps Burn Victim Recover Her Own Style"
Toledo Blade
(OH) (04/01/07) Smith, Ryan E.
Makeup techniques like airbrushing are now being used
to battle the self-esteem issues of burn survivors by covering scars and skin
graft discoloration. St. Vincent Mercy Medical's Regional
Burn Care
Center in Toledo, Ohio,
recently gave one burn survivor, Maxine Richardson, a complimentary
airbrush machine and training; the gift was furnished by the St. Vincent
Foundation Burn Fund. The airbrush gun sprays a mist of makeup and water,
blending Richardson's
scars and concealing the light patches of grafted skin covering 75 percent
of her body, including her face, arms, and legs. Though there will not be a
perfect match between reconstructed and original skin, the results are
significant enough to make burn survivors "feel like they fit in
better," explains Kim Burkholder, the burn center's clinical nurse
manager. The chance to wear shorts and capris again makes Richardson happy,
and her response to her airbrushed skin's overall look--"This is the
color it's supposed to be"--speaks volumes about the new method's
success.
"Budget
OK'd, But Struggle Over Burn Center Funding Continues"
Picayune Item (Mississippi)
(03/30/07)
So far, no state money has been allocated for a new
burn unit at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMC), even
though Mississippi
lawmakers recently passed legislation authorizing the construction of a new
facility to replace the state's only burn center, which closed two years
ago. However, UMC officials say they cannot commit to the project if the
state cannot come up with funding.
"Tobacco-Rich
Kentucky Bans Sale of Conventional Cigarettes in Favor of Fire-Safe
Versions"
Associated Press Financial Wire (03/26/2007) Alford, Roger
Kentucky
joins seven other states in restricting cigarette sales to fire-safe
versions in order to put a stop to fires caused by cigarettes. In Kentucky, a
tobacco-producing state with a high rate of adult smokers, cigarette-ignited
fires account for a third of fire fatalities, reports the state fire
marshal's office. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) says that
700 people to 900 people are killed by such fires each year in the United States.
The bill became a law in March 2007, but will take effect next year so that
manufacturers have a chance to make changes. The legislation was driven by
a house fire that investigators believe began when one of the 10 victims
dropped a lit cigarette onto a chair. More than 18 other states are
thinking about enacting a similar law, according to Lorraine Carli, a
spokeswoman for the NFPA.
"The Home
Safety Council and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Introduce New Fire Department Research
Identifying Public Safety Needs"
Home Safety Council (04/01/07)
A new survey of fire fighters reveals enthusiasm for
and dedication to Fire and Life Safety Education (FLSE), but limited
resources with which to implement fire safety outreach in communities. The
Home Safety Council engaged the Center for Injury Research and Policy at
the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to conduct the poll of
fire fighters across the country; the findings demonstrate that the United
States "needs to invest much more" in FLSE to equip all citizens
with the skills and information needed during fire emergencies, explains
Meri-K Appy, president of the Home Safety Council. The surveyed fire
fighters called the current level of FLSE unsatisfactory, and described the
major obstacles as inadequate resources and competing priorities. Though 86
percent of fire departments have FLSE programming, more than half of the
personnel assigned to FLSE duty are juggling multiple responsibilities.
Only 12 percent of the surveyed departments had staff assigned solely to
FLSE activities. In addition, 85 percent of fire departments devote fewer
than 10 hours each week to FLSE. Fire fighter Jim Harmes applauds fire
departments for the great job they are doing with certain elements, like
teaching children, but points out that some categories need improvement,
such as outreach for older adults and non-native speakers. Poll results
also found that a small percentage of FLSE activities focus on issues like
home fire sprinkler systems and disaster preparedness, and that of the
safety products distributed by fire departments, items like fire escape
ladders and bicycle helmets were low on the list.
"U.S. Military Burn Patients Tour Center for Intrepid"
Blackanthem Military News (03/24/07) Schrum, Nelia
U.S. Military burn survivors from Fort Sam's
Burt Center
took an in-depth tour of the new Center for the Intrepid (CFI) in Houston, Texas.
Therapists at the Burn Center monitor the progress of each patient in both
occupational and physical therapy sessions; when patients are ready for
advanced rehabilitation, they will be referred to the CFI. Each will then
receive a rigorous therapy schedule customized to his or her individual
needs. The facility, with premier equipment and a growing staff of
therapists, assistants, and social workers, can accommodate both amputee
burn survivors as well as those with functional loss in their limbs. The
CFI's goal is to restore their patients' strength and endurance so they can
carry out routine activities and--through programs like the Fire Arms Training
System--other pursuits.
"Firefighters
to Rally for Burn Center Legislation"
Sun Herald (Mississippi)
(03/21/07) Mohr, Holbrook
Fire fighters plan to rally in Jackson, Miss.,
in support of legislation that would set up a University of Mississippi
Medical Center burn unit. Mississippi
has the country's highest rate of per capita fire fatalities and yet must
currently transport burn patients to centers in neighboring states. Mississippi has been without a burn unit since 2005,
when the financially troubled Mississippi
Firefighters Memorial Burn Center
shut down after its funding requests were deemed unfeasible by a
governor-appointed task force. Fire fighters want reassurance that the
state will provide them with care if they are injured in a fire, and are
expected to drive around the state's Capitol in up to 15 fire trucks. The
bill is moving into state House and Senate negotiations to determine
whether it would be a public or private facility. Funding may still pose a
serious challenge, with approximately $11 million needed to construct and
staff the center, and $4 million needed per year to run it.
"Hanna
Andersson Recalls Children's Loungewear Due to Burn Hazard"
ABC7 Chicago
(03/19/07)
Hanna Andersson has instructed consumers to
immediately stop using its Children's Crossover Tee and Lounge Pant Sets
and Cropped Johns because they pose a burn hazard. The Portland, Ore.,
company has also voluntarily recalled the garments. The recall does not
include sleepwear and loungewear in women's sizes. The children's sleepwear
and loungewear do not meet sleepwear flammability standards. Loungewear
falls under children's sleepwear flammability standards, which require such
garments to be either snug-fitting or flame resistant. Hanna Andersson
markets the Crossover Tee and Lounge Pant Sets as loungewear. The Cropped
Johns are not marketed for loungewear, but they can be used as loungewear.
"Don't
Let Hot Liquids Make You Feel the Burn"
Lawrence
Journal-World (KS) (03/17/07)
The Home Safety Council offers suggestions to prevent
burn accidents from happening at home. A good first step is setting the
water heater's temperature gauge at 120 degrees or less. To protect small
children--who can be burned in as little as five seconds--keep bath water
at around 100 degrees by filling it with cold water before mixing in warmer
water. Use a thermometer to check the temperature before bathing the child.
When near standing water, keep children within arm's reach. Be careful to
keep hot beverages away from the edges of counters and tables, or anywhere
a child could reach them. Do not hold a young child while drinking hot
liquids, and test heated bottles
before feeding small children. When cooking, use oven mitts, not a wet
towel. To avoid spilling boiling water, turn pot handles toward the back of
the stove; food from the microwave is also dangerous if handled without
care. Minor burn injuries should be treated with 3 minutes to 5 minutes of
cool-running water; then apply a bandage, not ice, butter, or lotions.
Obtain immediate medical treatment for serious scalds.
"Growth
Deceleration and Restoration After Serious Burn Injury"
Journal of Burn Care & Research (04/01/2007) Prelack, Kathy; Dwyer,
Johanna
While there is a general assumption that burned minors
are vulnerable to growth deceleration, because the prevalence, length, and
level of this growth is inadequately described making intelligent decisions
about treatment is challenging. A study of the typical growth history
following burn injury performed in a regional pediatric burn facility was
recently published in the Journal of Burn Care & Research. The study
followed 159 patients--all of whom were under 13 when they were hurt--to
determine what impact their injuries had on their height development.
Children who were severely burned had height-for-age numbers that were
substantially less than their baseline average for all years surveyed. This
drop in height-for-age figures signified a 1.6 centimeter to 5.8 centimeter
deficit. Seventeen children had height-for-age numbers that would signify
stunting. Meanwhile, weight-for-age numbers were not statistically less
than the reference protocol, except for patients with severe burns up to 18
months after being injured. Among the children in the study, only children
who were severely burned showed a decrease in stature, and for the majority
that decrease was moderate.
"Mind
Over Everything"
Natural Health (03/07) Vol. 37, No. 3, P. 86; Kanigel, Rachele
Dr. David Patterson of the Harborview
Medical Center
in Seattle
says that his review of clinical trial data on the use of hypnosis in
helping burn survivors achieve pain relief shows that hypnosis helps reduce
pain. While he notes that hypnosis rarely provides total pain relief for
patients, he has witnessed its effectiveness in his own practice in helping
burn survivors cope with pain in the recovery process. Likewise, a 2000
study published in The Lancet found that of 241 patients who underwent
serious invasive surgery, patients that underwent hypnosis first
experienced better vital signs before and after surgery, needed less pain
medicine, and left the operating table sooner. Brain imaging has found that
patients under hypnosis show different brain pattern activity, and also
show a reduction of brain activity in areas associated with pain
perception. A 2006 study of pregnant women by Australian researchers found
that women who learn and practice self-hypnosis before giving birth are
less likely to require an epidural. Harvard Medical
School health
psychologist Dr. Carol Ginandes concluded in 1999 that regular hypnosis
sessions help patients heal serious ankle injuries faster. Beth Israel
Deaconess Hospital
in Boston
and a few others now routinely offer hypnosis therapy to patients scheduled
for serious surgery.
"Data
From Korea, Iran and Japan
Advance Knowledge in Dermatology Research"
Medical Device Business Week (03/14/07)
Researchers at Yonsei
University in South Korea
obtained successful cosmetic results after treating burn scars with the
pinhole method employing a carbon dioxide laser. The researchers explained
that traditional techniques like skin grafts and laser abrasion rarely have
a significant effect on burn scars. The team found they could make
"deep, closely set holes reaching down to the upper dermis" with
the carbon dioxide laser and pinhole method. In two cases, the scars
improved after a few weeks in terms of color, texture, the number of
wrinkles, and contracture relaxation. S.W. Whang and colleagues, who
published their study in the Journal of Dermatology, concluded that the
pinhole technique is easy to execute and generates dramatic results.
"Gevalia
Recalls Kaffe Combo Coffeemakers Due to Burn Hazard"
WTOL-TV (03/14/07)
The 12-cup programmable Gevalia Kaffe Combo
Coffeemaker has been voluntarily recalled due to a burn hazard in which the
product's heating element melts the plastic outer shell. The product,
manufactured in China
and imported by Global Marketing Corp., has been mentioned in 28 reports,
including a dozen instances in which countertops were damaged. The model
number of the recalled product, which can be found on the bottom of the
unit, is CM830. Gevalia is warning consumers to immediately stop using the
product and to contact the company for a free replacement unit or refund.
The recall affects about 21,000 units.
"Safety
Ranks High on the Minds of Electrical Contractors"
NJBiz (03/12/07) Darling, Yvonne
Recent changes to the National Electric Code highlight
an industry focus on protecting electrical contractors from occupational risks.
Electrical and other specialty trade contractors accounted for 68 percent
of occupational industry injury and illness in the U.S.
construction fields in 2005. About 2,000 workers are admitted to burn
centers due to arc-flash incidents each year, reports the Institute of Electrical
and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA). The two joined forces last year to create the IEEE/NFPA
Collaborative Research Project, which aims to protect electrical
contractors against arc flash. The effort received $1.25 million in initial
contributions from private companies last July. "We see the program as
a great opportunity for many organizations to collaborate to benefit the
entire power industry," says Gus Schaefer, a senior vice president and
public safety officer for Northbrook, Ill.-based Underwriters Laboratories,
a provider of product-safety certification that donated $500,000 to the
effort.
"The
Healing Power of Writing"
Burn Support News (Quarter 1, 2007) Fisk, Molly
Burn survivors and other
individuals who have experienced injury and trauma might benefit from
writing, which is found to generally help people feel better. Former
Southern Methodist University psychology professor James Pennebaker
conducted an experiment on his students in which they wrote 15 minutes each
day for four days. The students were placed in one of four groups, with
three groups instructed to write about the worst thing that had happened to
them, albeit in various ways. One had to give their emotions about the
event but not list it by name; one had to write about the event's details
but not the accompanying emotions; and one had to provide details and
emotions. The fourth group had to write about topics not connected to
trauma. Pennebaker discovered that the group who had written about both
their trauma and their emotions later reduced their health service
appointments by 50 percent. He determined that his students employed both
sides of the brain at the same time when writing about a traumatic event
and the emotions that came with it.
© Copyright 2007 INFORMATION, INC.
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