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University Daily Kansan, June 24, 1983
Burn center treats injured bodies and injured minds
By MELISSA BAUMAN Staff Reporter
Glenn Hubbel was burned over 35 percent of his body and was taken to the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan., for treatment.
The year was 1967, and Hubbel, a Baseher resident, was hospitalized for 32 days and then underwent therapy for two years.
Now he visits the Gene and Barbara Burnet Burn Center at the Med Center every other week to talk to patients. He made 116 trips in the past four years.
SINCE ITS OPENING in 1973, the burn center has handled 1,065 burn patients, 90 percent of whom have undergone a clinical director of the center, and Tuesday
Miani said, however, that of the 1,055 injuries treated, 75 percent could have been minor.
He said the main causes of burns were sunburn, home fires, hot water,
automobile accidents, chemicals in the home and grease fires.
Sunburn, although not a serious injury, can be painful and easily prevented, Mani said.
He said that sunscreen lotion helped to block the sun's ultra-violet rays, but that it was water-soluble and must be replaced after swimming.
Mani said that 50 percent of all home fires were related to smoking and that most fires happened between midnight and 5 a.m.
The best prevention, he said, is smoke alarms, which come in two varieties — smoke detectors and heat detectors.
Scaldling injuries from hot water also are common, Mani said, and the water is used to clean skin.
He said that water heaters are often set at 150 degrees Farenheit — a temperature at which a burn can occur in one second.
Turning heaters down to 120 degrees is the best solution, Mani said. It takes five minutes for a scalding to occur in 120 degree water.
Mani said that in the past year the center had 12 children under two years
Louis Nicholson, Kansas City, Mo., skin technician at the Gene and Barbara Burnet Burn Center at the University of Kansas Medical Center, checks the center's supply of frozen skin.
Automobile accidents, another major cause of burns, Mani said, can often be prevented by turning off the engine to gasoline or battery acid from igniting.
Another major cause of burns, grease
trees, can be put out by covering the
ground with a tarp.
Finally, he said, family members should know where exits are in case of fire.
Including in-patients, Mani said,
doctors will see center at 18 to 20
sundays a day.
The burn center takes care of the more serious patients from the area — serious being classified as those who have received 15 percent to 20 percent of their bodies.
Mani said there were three basic steps to treatment of a burn patient -- resuscitation, care of burns, including crafts if needed, and rehabilitation.
Mani said that the Burn Center usually receives patients who, on the average, are burned on 20 percent to 25 percent of their bodies.
Others are treated on an out-patient basis or at area hospitals.
Mani said that skin grafts often are used on burn victims, but that there
Hubbel said that the burn foundation's main function is to encourage patients.
Another service the burn foundation provides is giving smoke alarms to elderly and disabled people.
Removing immunities may stop the body from rejecting the foreign skin but also leaves that person with no immunity to disease. Mani said.
He said a nurse once asked him to visit a patient who had been badly burned two days before.
Skin from another person, either living or dead, known as a homograft, will be rejected by the victim's body, unless the surgeon uses a process that removes all immunity from the patient's body, he said.
HUBBEL THE BURN victim from Basehor, is a member of this support group, called the Mid-Continent Burn Foundation.
Someone with 80 percent of his body burned has too little unburned skin to cover the burned portion, so temporary measures must be taken.
When a victim is burned and requires skin grafts. The best method, called an autograft, is accomplished by taking a small piece of burnt skin carefully to cover the burned area, Manti said.
This skin may be used as a temporary covering and is removed within 7 days.
A heterograft is transplanting skin from a different species, most often pigs, to the burned area. This is rejected by the patient's body but helps
Donor skin is stored in the center's skin bank and can temporarily protect the burned area from infection and further burns that may be performed by the skin, Mami said.
were many problems related to skin grafts.
"IT'S NOT LIKE taking a car and fixing a den." Mans said.
"I said, You know I don't visit patients that have only been here two
HERITAGE MANAGEMENT CORP
A support group of 25 or 30 former patients come to the center about once a month.
protect it until enough of the patient's own skin can be grafted, he said.
Mani said there was a problem with availability of donor skin.
He said most burn victims that needed psychological help had a "situational psychosis," meaning that the person was incapable of coping of their plans, was depressing.
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Hubbell said he agreed to see the woman.
Mani said psychiatrists were available to help victims of burns.
days.' And she said, 'This lady thinks she's going to die.'
"I TOLD HER. "You've got the best of care here. You've got the best of nursing, the best of doctors. There's no reason you can't come out of this," he
The center will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a reception from 2 to 4 p.m. in Stoland Lounge, Orr-Major Hall.
In addition to the 10 beds in the Burn Center, Mani said, the center keeps track of 200 to 300 others on an out-patient basis.
THE RURN CENTER has 10 beds.
The center usually has six or seven beds filled at one time. Mani said.
Mani said that they were not planning an increase in staff and that 10 beds were about all they could handle.
Mani said this support group talks not only to the patient, but also to the therapist.
Subman Delivers every night 5-12 841-3268
"This is a field where every subject you ever studied in school is utilized."
Robert McCormack, professor and chairman of the Division of Plastic Surgery at the University of Rochester York, will be the featured speaker.
We're fast!
Nicholson changes the dressings on a patient's burns. Chemical as well as heat burns are treated at the burn center.
NOTICE TO UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS EMPLOYEES AND ALL STATE OF KANSAS EMPLOYEES RESIDING IN DOUGLAS COUNTY:
You now have a choice in health care plans.
Although these meetings were designed primarily to serve KU employees, all State employees and their spouses are welcome. Meetings in other State agencies may be arranged by contacting Health Care Plus. If you have questions, but cannot attend any of the meetings, or if you wish to arrange a meeting for your State agency, call the Health Care Plus office at 841-3330.
To help you make an informal decision, Health Care Plus representatives have scheduled a series of meetings on the University of Kansas campus to describe the cost and benefits of Health Care Plus and to answer your questions.
SCHEDULE OF HEALTH CARE PLUS MEETINGS JUNE 24-JULY 1
FRIDAY
Week of June 27-July 1
JUNE 10 14
9:30-10:30 A.M.
Walnut Rm., Union
12:00-1:00
222 Snow
12:10-12:50 P.M.
138 Robinson
2:10-3:00 P.M.
202 Summerfield
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY
June 27 June 28 June 29 June 30
10:00-11:00 A.M. Computer Center Auditorium 10:00-11:00 A.M. Burge Conference, Satellite Union 12:00-1:00 P.M. 501 Summerfield 11:00-12:00 300 Strong (F&O)
11:30-12:30 P.M. Meadowwark Room, Union 11:30-12:30 300 Strong (F & O) 12:00-1:00 P.M. Burge Conference, Satellite Union 12:00-1:00 P.M. 2 Fraser 7:30-8:30 P.M. Council Room, Union
12:00-1:00 P.M. 317 Lindley 12:00-1:00 P.M. 1072 Malott 1:30-2:30 P.M. 222 Snow
1:30-2:30 P.M. 2 Fraser 12:00-1:00 P.M. 501 Summerfield 9:00-10:00 P.M. 300 Strong (F&O)
FRIDAY
HEALTH CARE PLUS
A Health Maintenance Organization
A Healthy Ident.
11:00-12:00
Meadowlark Room,
Union
12:00-1:00 P.M.
Meadowlark Room,
Union
12:00-1:00 P.M.
Nichole Hall,
Apollo Room
HEALTH CARE PLUS
1026 Weststate Road
Lawrence, Kansas 66044
841-3330
The PLUS stands for:
• Guaranteed access to medical care.
• No hidden or surprise costs.
• No waiting period to quality.
• No routine claim forms to complete.
• Wellness education – to keep you healthy.
The PLUS stands for: