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Foundation Briefings
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"Burn Camp Changes
Firefighter's Perspective"
"Chattanooga:
Firefighters Relieved by Explanation of Burn Unit Closure"
"Fun Salves Burn
Injuries"
"Preventing Compassion
Fatigue: Caring for Ourselves While Caring for Others"
"State Should Continue
Funding Burn Centers"
"A Prospective Analysis
of Trash, Brush, and Grass Burning Behaviors"
"Childhood Burn Cases
Soaring"
"Imperial Sugar Burn
Victim Improves"
"2007 Fire Prevention
and Safety Grants Awarded"
"Influence of Injury
Characteristics and Payer Status on Burn Treatment Location in Washington
State"
"S.C. House Revives
Bill Paying for Sprinklers"
"Burn Camp Eases the
Sting of Youngsters' Scars"
"A Healing
Machine"
"Ten-Year
Epidemiological Study of Pediatric Burns in Canada"
"Burn
Camp Changes Firefighter's Perspective"
Tidewater News (Va.) (07/10/08)
Fire
fighter and EMT Michael Bradshaw of Franklin, Va., recently was chosen to
be a counselor at the Central Virginia Burn Camp. Bradshaw says the
children who attend the camp have a range of burn injuries, but that while
they are at the camp "they are like everyone else." Bradshaw was
teamed with Malik Jackson, 15, who survived a scalding incident as a young
child. Counselors received special training and a medical chart for their
child detailing their special needs and medications. The children
participated in activities such as rope courses, swimming, fishing,
horseback riding, and crafts. Aluminum Cans for Burn Children donated the
funds for a day trip to Water Country USA. In addition, "Fire fighters
from all over the state find ways to make this [camp] happen" says
Bradshaw.
"Chattanooga: Firefighters Relieved by
Explanation of Burn Unit Closure"
Chattanooga Times Free Press (TN) (07/10/08) Bregel, Emily
The
burn unit at Erlanger hospital in Chattanooga, Tenn., was shut down
recently after officials were unable to find a successor for Dr. Lesley
Wong, the medical director who stepped down in February. Fire fighters have
expressed concern about the burn unit's closure, but on July 9 hospital
executives and physicians said that burn patients will still be treated at
the hospital. However, patients with burns covering 20 percent or more of
their bodies will be moved to regional burn centers for long-term care
after first receiving treatment at Erlanger. "The most important part
of the burn care is really the first eight hours or so, when you do most of
the significant resuscitation," said Dr. Woody Kennedy, director of
Erlanger's burn program. "We will continue to do that initially
here."
"Fun Salves Burn Injuries"
Charleston Post and Courier (07/03/08) Frandino, Nathan
Camp
Can Do is a five-day camp in South Carolina for burn survivors ages six to
17. It is held at Camp St. Christopher on Seabrook Island and is sponsored
by the Medical University of South Carolina's (MUSC's) Children's Hospital
Pediatric Burn Services and South Carolina fire fighters. This year, 42
children from across the state attended the camp. The camp focuses on
easing children's physical and emotional problems and facilitating
recovery, according to camp founder and coordinator Jill Evans. The camp is
free for all participants, and all counselors are volunteers. The children
take part in such activities as kickball, fishing, beach time, and a drum
circle. On July 2, the camp arranged fire fighter games as well as a carnival,
water slides, and more. Volunteer camp nurse Susan Wimberly has been
working at the camp for 12 years and has treated many of the campers at
MUSC. "I've had to see them grow through so much pain in their healing
process, and now you can see them having a blast and being accepted by
their peers," she says.
"Preventing Compassion Fatigue: Caring for
Ourselves While Caring for Others"
Burn Support News (Quarter 3, 2008) No. 1, P. 1; Badger, Karen
Nurses
and family caregivers assisting people who are experiencing trauma or
suffering sometimes develop symptoms that are similar to post-traumatic
stress disorder because they become so engaged in helping others.
Irritability, sleeplessness, intrusive memories, or feelings of being
overwhelmed, depressed, or anxious are examples of what Dr. Charles Figley,
a trauma specialist and director of the Florida State University
Traumatology Institute, calls the "cost of caring." Experts on
"compassion fatigue" indicate professional caregivers must take
care of themselves while they assist others to protect their well-being.
They must practice self-care, such as not missing breakfast and lunch to
work with very distressed patients, for example; otherwise they could faint
and have to take the rest of the day off, which would keep them from
assisting other patients. Caregivers should be compassionately connected to
those they assist, but set emotional boundaries so they do not take on
their patients' pain and experience. They should use a work-related support
network and build social support among friends and family, and keep in mind
that the network should be energizing, rather than draining. Professional
caregivers should also focus on reducing work stress, using active coping
measures, developing and utilizing self-awareness, and maintaining a
balance in life.
"State Should Continue Funding Burn
Centers"
Morning Call (06/30/08) Lozano, Daniel
With
Pennsylvania burn centers under threat of losing funding in the state’s
2008-09 budget, parents should take extra care to prevent burn injuries
from happening. Avoiding fireworks is the best precaution, because they are
the top cause of injury in the summer, and keeping children away from
outdoor grills is essential. Parents should avoid the use of lighter fluid
or gasoline and keep a fire extinguisher on hand both when grilling and
when starting campfires. They should also be sure to use designated fire
pits and keep fires downwind from campsites, and douse them thoroughly with
water when finished. To protect against lightning when caught outside,
parents should stay inside a vehicle with the windows closed, and if a car
is not available, keep low to the ground.
"A Prospective Analysis of Trash, Brush, and
Grass Burning Behaviors"
Journal of Burn Care & Research (06/01/2008) Vol. 29, No. 3, P. 441;
Wibbenmeyer, Lucy A.; Kealey, Gerald P.; Young, Tracy L.
A
survey of 36 individuals injured while burning trash, brush, or grass from
June 2003 through September 2005 reveals that 60 percent were injured while
burning brush, 54.2 percent were burning brush in an open space, and 75
percent of the incidents involved accelerants. Almost two-thirds of
respondents said they usually burned either brush or a mixture of brush and
trash. The survey reveals that 80 percent want to change the way they burn
brush, and about two-thirds added that they would consider asking for help
with burning if it were available. The misuse of gasoline, uniform safety
standards for gas cans, and dissemination of safe burning practices should
be the focus of injury prevention efforts.
"Childhood Burn Cases Soaring"
The Age (06/29/08) Harrison, Dan
Burn
injuries in children treated at Australia's Royal Children's Hospital have
jumped almost 40 percent in the past year, and doctors are urging parents
to use more fire precautions in the home. The clinic’s number of new
patients has risen 147 percent in the past four years, and doctors are
concerned the trend will only get worse. Britta Saunders, the hospital's
associate unit manager of outpatients, says parents may have gotten
complacent and are failing to use guards around fireplaces and in kitchens,
focusing more on aesthetics than safety. Many parents also do not know the
proper treatment for a burn, doctors say, which is to place a burn under
cool running water and not apply ice, butter, or lotions. Scalding from hot
liquids is the most common cause of burn injuries in children. Experts
recommend that parents keep children away from the kitchen when cooking,
use back burners and make sure pot handles do not hang over the counter
edge, avoid drinking hot liquids while holding children, and reduce the temperature
of hot tap water.
"Imperial Sugar Burn Victim Improves"
WSAV News 3 (06/29/08)
One of
the three workers still hospitalized following the Feb. 7 explosion at the
Imperial Sugar Plant in Port Wentworth, Ga., has been upgraded. A
spokesperson for the burn center in Augusta, Ga., said one patient has been
upgraded to good condition, while two others remain in critical condition.
"2007 Fire Prevention and Safety Grants
Awarded"
Firehouse.com (06/27/08)
The
U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) has announced winners of the 11th round of fiscal year 2007 Fire
Prevention and Safety Grants. In total FEMA awarded 13 grants worth $5.5
million to fire departments and fire prevention organizations throughout
the nation. These grants will be used either to improve fire prevention and
safety programs--including arson prevention and burn prevention--or to
improve the health and safety of fire fighters.
"Influence of Injury Characteristics and Payer
Status on Burn Treatment Location in Washington State"
Journal of Burn Care & Research (06/01/2008) Vol. 29, No. 3, P. 435;
Klein, Matthew B.; Mack, Christopher D.; Kramer, C. Bradley
The
University of Washington Burn Center treated 8,624 of the 16,531 patients
who were admitted to a Washington state hospital after burn injury between
1987 and 2005. Patients admitted to the state's only verified burn center
had larger overall burn size (7.4 percent compared with 4.5 percent TBSA, P
< .001), higher percent full-thickness burn (4.3 percent compared with
1.2 percent, P < .001), and higher rates of inhalation injury (2.3
percent compared with 1.5 percent, P = .005). Uninsured status was also a
factor for treatment sought at the University of Washington Burn Center.
However, the severity of injury and status of the payer were found to be
independent predictors of treatment at the facility.
"S.C. House Revives Bill Paying for
Sprinklers"
Myrtle Beach Sun News (SC) (06/27/08) Fuller, Kelly Marshall
A South
Carolina bill that promises tax incentives to homeowners and businesses
that install sprinkler systems on their properties was resurrected after
state House lawmakers drummed up enough votes to override Gov. Mark
Sanford's veto. Sanford vetoed the measure because he opposed the idea of
taxpayers footing the bill for improvements to private properties. The
House defeat of the veto is welcome news to many local fire fighters, who
helped compose the measure and worked to get the sprinkler legislation
passed. "At our urging, it has been taken out of hiding and put back
in front of folks, and now there is hope on the horizon," says Lt.
Gary Mocarski with the Murrells Inlet-Garden City Fire Department.
"Burn Camp Eases the Sting of Youngsters'
Scars"
Tampa Tribune (06/18/08) Sager, Michelle
Acceptance
and freedom from judgment are just a few of the reasons many burn survivors
attend Camp Hopetake, a camp on the grounds of the University of South
Florida for burn survivors ages five to 17. Children swim, attend a dance,
visit theme parks, bunk together in dorm rooms, and build social skills
that will help them cope in the real world. "People don't feel sorry
for you here because everyone understands what it's like," said
15-year-old Lena Garrett-Taylor, who has been coming to the camp for
several years since being burned in an electrical fire. "It definitely
builds your self-confidence." The camp is run by Tampa fire fighters
and paramedics and Tampa General Hospital burn unit nurses and therapists.
"A Healing Machine"
Rehab Management (06/08) Vol. 21, No. 5, P. 34; Long, Frank
The
purpose of continuous passive motion (CPM) is to increase joint healing and
reduce hospital stays. When used to promote the repair of articular
cartilage following surgery, CPM stimulates circulation in synovial fluids
and increases the venous blood flow to upgrade cartilage nutrition and
lower edema. CPM is also being used for burn injuries, including the
prevention and treatment of scar tissue contractures. A study taking place
at Boston's Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital finds that inpatient
rehabilitation therapy interventions have an advantageous impact on
contracture treatment. "CPM gives clinicians an additional tool for
the prevention and treatment of contractures," states Jeffrey Schneider,
physiatrist for Spaulding's inpatient musculoskeletal program and the
study's lead investigator. "The burn rehabilitation program at
Spaulding is involved in a multidisciplinary research project investigating
the efficacy of rehabilitation in this patient population."
"Ten-Year Epidemiological Study of Pediatric
Burns in Canada"
Journal of Burn Care & Research (06/01/2008) Vol. 29, No. 3, P. 482;
Spinks, Anneliese
Burn injuries among children are on the decline,
according to a new Canadian study of hospital admissions between 1994 and
2003 using data from Statistics Canada and the Canadian Institute of Health
Information. According to the study, male children and those younger than
five of either sex were at the greatest risk of burn injury, with children
five or younger at the greatest risk of death from a burn. There were 494
burn-related deaths and 10,220 injuries reported in the study period, with
scalds accounting for 50 percent of admissions. The figures represent a
“clear reduction” in burn injury, which the study’s authors say points to
successful burn prevention measures as well as improvement in burn
treatments and hospital procedures.
The
inclusion of articles in the IAFF Burn Foundation Briefing does not imply
the IAFF or IAFF Burn Foundation's endorsement of their content nor any
particular organizations or programs highlighted in these articles.
Articles are intended to increase awareness of media coverage of topics
relevant to our community and are provided for informational purposes only.
© Copyright 2008 INFORMATION, INC.
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