Medical

Published on: June 21, 2010

Flammable Clothing

They are clothing in which the materials that is made from can catch fire easily. Flammable clothing became public in the 1940s after an epidemic of children who sustained leg burns caused by the ignition of Gene Audry cowboy suits, these suits were highly flammable. Soon this was reinforced when girls sustained burns that resulted from wearing cotton sweater which were highly flammable (torch sweaters). In 1953 the Flammability Fabrics Act was passed in the USA that regulates the manufacture and sale of wearing appeal of highly flammable clothing.

Among common flammable clothing for children are pajamas, gowns, and bathrobes. Factors that affect the speed at which clothes ignite and the rate at which they burn after being ignited include:

The type of material it’s made of: cotton burns fast and is destroyed completely within seconds, synthetic fiber such as nylon has a lower risk of burning but it will melt and stick to the skin. For wool it burns very slowly and doesn’t ignite. A fabric that is made from plant fibers which is chemically treated has flame retardant characters.

Continue reading →

Published on: June 17, 2010

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

By Larry Kramer

CPR is an emergency life saving procedure consisting of timed compression of external chest wall with alternating mouth to mouth breathing.

First you have to make sure that the scene is safe to help the victim and perform CPR. Determine whether the victim is responsive or not by tapping on the shoulder and shouting at them “are you ok?” If there is no response than 911 should be called. In the unconscious victim, the most common airway obstruction is the tongue. Roll the victim on their back, open the airway by tilting the head back gently with one hand and gently lift the chin forward with the other hand, this may allow breathing to resume.

Check if the victim is breathing by looking for chest movement, listening for normal breath sounds and feeling any air movement on your cheek for 5 – 10 seconds. If there is no breathing than start CPR. Pinch nose shut and start mouth to mouth breathing by making a tight seal around the victim’s mouth with yours, give 2 slow breaths making sure that the person’s chest rises with each breath.

Continue reading →

Published on: June 15, 2010

Children’s Adjustment to Burn Injury

By Larry Kramer

A burn injury is a traumatic experience for everyone, it doesn’t affect the person who was exposed to a burn injury alone but affects everyone around him/her. For children it’s even harder for them to adapt to their new life as their experience in life is limited. For parents, there are ways to deal with the child that will help both the child and the parents.

The parent of a burned child must be careful to take care of himself/herself so that you can continue to take care of their child. Children look up to their parents and the way they handle the situation will affect the child progress. Don’t force your child to do things that he/she doesn’t want to do. Try to set small goals, take one step at a time, as your child achieve these small goals, they will build confidence. Always encourage your child no matter how minor the thing he/she has done. Make your child feel independent. Your child has been exposed to a trauma and a regression in his behavior may be noticed such as wetting the bed in a previously trained child. You have to be patient it is expected after a burn injury to have changes in behavior. Don’t show guilt feelings and don’t treat your child as a victim. Engage in conversations with your child; try to understand how he /she feels and what is bothering them. Tell your child how you feel. Make your child feel that he/she is normal and encourage him/her to express their feelings and opinions. Show your child love and support. Contact your child’s teacher and make the school know what your child has gone through, this will help them to understand and help your child. Engage your child with children that have been exposed to similar experiences as they can learn from each other and help each other. These children can be found in burn camps and support groups. There are support groups for parents as well. If you think that you need help then seek the help of others as well as seeking help and advice from a proficiently qualified person.

This information is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice; it should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Call 911 for all medical emergencies.

Published on: June 1, 2010

Burns From Tanning Beds

By Larry Kramer

Tanning beds are used to induce skin tanning, although it is nice to have tanned skin, complications may happen which include wrinkling of the skin, skin burns and increase risk of skin cancer.

.

Tanning bed burns may happen if you use a tanning bed for a long period of time or if you don’t use enough protection on the skin. Burns caused by the tanning beds can be presented as redness of the skin, pain and tenderness.

Continue reading →

Published on: May 20, 2010

Cultural Shock And Cultural Sensitivity

By Larry Kramer

When patients and their families first arrive to the hospital after a burn injury, they may experience some level of cultural shock and cultural sensitivity even when they are from the same community.

These cultural differences may be stressful to the patients and their families and may limit their ability to participate in the healing process. The staff of the burn team is usually trained to handle these situations and can help with meeting the cultural, spiritual and religious needs of the patient and his/her family. When a treatment plan is made for the patient, cultural traditions can be addressed and incorporated into the plan to facilitate the healing process.

If you or your family has any questions or any concerns regarding a cultural issue, you should speak with the staff as they are there to help you and your family.

Continue reading →

Published on: May 19, 2010

Burn Survivors Support Groups

By Larry Kramer

A burn injury is one of the most painful experiences that a person can go through. Support groups can be helpful for many survivors. Meeting others who have experienced the same trauma may help survivors adjust to their new lives knowing that they are not alone. In these groups, members can discuss anything that concerns them or even just listen to others. Burn survivors during these meeting can share their burn related experiences and can provide support and encouragement to each other. They may discuss their fears of returning to society, the reactions of others to their scars, returning to work, intimate relationships, etc.

Various activities can be organized through the support group such as get together, sport events, educational conferences, charity work and others activities. Anyone can attend the support group meetings (family members, friends). Burn staff can also participate in these activities while reuniting with patients that they treated.

Burn survivor groups can visit other burn patients in the hospital giving them support and encouragement.

Continue reading →

Published on: May 12, 2010

The Effect of Smoking on the Skin

By Larry Kramer

Smoking has many harmful effects on the body and health among which is the effect of smoking on the skin. The effects of smoking include:

Wrinkles and early skin aging: smoking can cause wrinkles; lines can be seen radiating from the corner of the lips and the eyes. These lines around the mouth are called smoker’s lines and are due to constant puffing on cigarettes as the smoker smokes. The lines around the eyes are called crow’s feet and result from closing the eye tightly to avoid smoke from entering the eyes. Reduction of the blood supply to the skin as a result of blood vessel construction due to smoking leads to poor circulation of the skin and decreases oxygen resulting in early aging of the skin. Changes in elastic fibers and collagen loss also play a role in early aging of the skin. Smoking causes a reduction in the level of vitamin A leading to dryness and a reduction in the moisture of the skin resulting in premature aging. Smoking can cause dryness of the skin due to the effect of chemicals in smoke leading to decreased water content and moisture of the skin. Free radicals also play a role in premature aging of skin; increased levels of carbon monoxide in the blood as a result of smoking will encourage their formation, they play a role in early aging of skin.
Smoking leads to unwanted effects including the staining of teeth, bad breath, and the loss of taste sensation. Smoking also increases the risk of certain oral diseases such as a fungal infection known as Oral Candidiasis and other diseases.

Continue reading →

Published on: May 11, 2010

The Effect of Stress on the Skin.

By Larry Kramer

Stress can affect the body in many ways regardless of the cause of stress. One of the effects of stress is on the skin. The following effects on stress include:

Stress causes an increased release of certain hormones. These hormones will cause an increase in the production of sebum (oil) and this will lead to oily skin. The increased production of sebum will also increase the risk of acne formation.
Effect of stress on the nails: stress can affect the nail in the way that some people when stressed they pick their nails, others bite their nails in reaction to stress.

Continue reading →

Published on: May 10, 2010

Dry Skin

By Larry Kramer

Dry skin is a common skin condition that can affect anyone at any age. There are many causes of dry skin ranging from environmental factors to pathological diseases that can present with dry skin.

Causes include:

Part of the aging process in which dryness of the skin happens due to decreased oil production by the oil glands.

Continue reading →

Published on: May 7, 2010

Keeping the Skin Healthy

By Larry Kramer

The skin is like a mirror of the person and one of the first things that attracts the attention of others, it’s important to take care of the skin and keep it healthy.

Drinking enough water will keep the skin hydrated, smooth and delicate.
Free radicals are unstable molecules that can cause damage to the skin as well as other organs in the body. Antioxidants neutralize the effect of these free radicals. Vitamin A, C and E have an antioxidant activity. Antioxidant can be found in vegetables and fruits. Black grapes and blueberries are example of fruits with antioxidants.

Continue reading →