On April 12, Newark Mayor Cory Booker saved a neighbor from a blazing house fire — a dramatic rescue that he admitted was absolutely terrifying. The dramatic rescue began at around 9:30 p.m. that night, when Booker and two officers from the Mayor’s security team spotted a fire at a…
Burn Injury Resource Center
Smoke Inhalation, Not Severe Burns, Is Most Deadly Aspect of House Fires
Since the start of April, there have been more than a dozen deaths around the United States from smoke inhalation during fires in houses and other buildings. This is a clear indication that smoke from fire is even more dangerous to people than the flames themselves. Why? Because it only…
Severe Burn Victim’s Survivor Story Inspires Others
Zane Wetzel spent 47 days in a coma, and awoke to the realization that he was involved in a life-changing accident. But with the love of his wife and unwavering faith and optimism, he and his wife have gotten to a place where they can actually help other burn victims…
Two Car Models Investigated for Possibility of Fire That Can Cause Severe Burns to Driver and Passengers
On April 1, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced an investigation into the cause of fires in the Chevrolet Cruze, General Motors’ best-selling passenger car. According to complaints made to NHTSA, there have been at least two incidents in which the small sedan has caught fire while in motion.…
New Skin Grows Over Third Degree Burn Injuries, Thanks to Hydrogel
A recent article from the Institute for NanoBioTechnology discussed the developments that Johns Hopkins researchers have made in creating a jelly-like material for burn wound treatment which, in early experiments on skin damaged by severe burns, seemed to regenerate healthy tissue with no sign of the previous burn scars. In…
Workplace Accident Causes Severe Burns for Steel Plant Employee
Earlier this year, a man in Portage, Indiana, was placed into an induced coma after an industrial accident at the steel mill where he worked left him with third degree burns over 55 percent of his body. The accident happened one evening at the ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor plant, when a…
Burn Victims Can Reduce Pain Through Virtual Reality Games
In August 2011, Randy McAllister suffered third degree burns while trying to save equipment from a fire in wheat field. Today, he says that when he goes for his burn treatments, “it gets me to the threshold where I can’t stand it, but then I find out it can hurt…
Hypovolemic Shock
It is a life threatening medical emergency in which the heart is unable to pump oxygen rich blood to the vital organs of the body and can cause many organs to stop working. Causes: Hypovolemic shock happens due to decreased blood volume, losing about 1/5 or more of the normal…
Recall of Mini Coopers for Fire Hazard Reminds Us That Cars Can Cause Severe Burns and Smoke Inhalation Injury
In mid-January, BMW began a recall of 89,000 Mini Coopers in the United States for the same sort of problem that led to earlier recalls of BMW and Rolls-Royce luxury cars. The problem, in all the recalls, is that a computer circuit board controlling a turbocharger cooling system can fail.…
How Dangerous Are House Fires? Even Well-Protected Firefighters Frequently Suffer Smoke Inhalation and Severe Burn Injury
In late February, two Prince George’s County, MD firefighters were critically injured when a wind-fueled fireball blew through a burning house. They will survive, but the two members of the Bladensburg Volunteer Fire Department will face long, painful recoveries. Ethan Sorrell, 21, sustained respiratory burns “through his esophagus and down…