CNN Vital Signs shows that burns are a public health problem

Burns are considered a public health problem in Brazil. Every year around 1 million people burn themselves in the country.

Of this total, at least 100,000 seek hospital care and, of these, 3,000 die, directly or indirectly, due to their injuries. The data are from the Ministry of Health and cover a period of ten years (2011 to 2019).

In this episode, the team at “CNN Vital Signs” went to the Burn Treatment Unit at Bauru State Hospital, in the interior of São Paulo, where the main cause of burns are accidents caused by alcohol.

“They represent 50% of our hospitalized patients and are caused by all types of alcohol, be it liquid, gel, the fuel (ethanol) that people are using to light barbecues, or even to burn leaves in the backyard”, he says. Cristiane Rocha, plastic surgeon and unit coordinator.

“In second place comes scald burns, which are burns caused by hot liquids, and this ends up affecting children, who are the most vulnerable to this type of burn.”

To understand in practice the dangers of hot, flammable liquids, electric shocks and fire in domestic and work environments, the team went to the Fire Department command in São Paulo.

“We are going to light gel alcohol and liquid alcohol, ethanol, with a match here and we will see the difference in visibility and the amount of flame”, says captain André Elias, spokesperson for the corporation, in a demonstration .

“Liquid alcohol forms a cloud of flammable vapor that reaches its ignition point and it catches fire completely and suddenly. That’s what gives the explosion.”

The captain also mentions some prevention measures: “First of all, our kitchen is a danger, especially for children and the elderly, so, whenever you are cooking, place the pans on the burner behind the stove, whenever possible. handle of the pot into the stove, so that the child doesn't hit the handle with his hand and end up dropping the pot and all its contents on top of it”, he says.

“Another very common thing that we observe is families that still use those long tablecloths. Then the mother comes, puts the soup on the table, the child pulls the tablecloth, and what is on the table falls on top of her”.

Finally, he reiterates: “Do not use alcohol for cooking and always check for possible leaks in your LPG using a sponge with detergent. Pass it over the connections and if it bubbles or pops, there is a problem.”

According to experts, burns can be classified according to their depth.

• First degree, when the lesions only affect the epidermal layer.
• Second degree, when there is involvement of the epidermis and the superficial or deep layer of the dermis.
• Third degree, affecting, in addition to the skin, other tissues such as the subcutaneous tissue, muscles, tendons and even bones.

“The larger the body area burned, the higher the mortality rate, but the factors of age, agents and severity of burns, rescue conditions before hospitalization, complications and health status before the injury must also be considered”, says Breno Pessoa , plastic surgeon and head of the Burns Center at the José Frota Institute (IJF), in Fortaleza.

The IJF is a reference in burn care in Brazil and it is there that we will learn about a procedure using tilapia skin for a patient burned on the arms in an accident with hot liquid.

Developed by doctors from Ceará over the last seven years, research with tilapia skin has proven that it acts as a bandage for second and third degree burns and its use speeds up the healing process, in addition to reducing the patient's pain.

In total, more than 500 people have already benefited from the procedure in Brazil. The estimate is that the product will be approved by Anvisa and will be available on the SUS in less than two years.

The work involves 297 researchers, nine Brazilian states, eight countries and 26 publications in national and international journals, with 19 awards won.

“There are also studies with NASA, Fiocruz and Butantan, citing research in four international series, such as Grey's Anatomy, Good Doctor, Vampires and The Residentin addition to four patents with products developed from tilapia skin”, says Edmar Maciel, general coordinator of the research and president of the Queimado Support and Rehabilitation Institute, in Fortaleza.

“We also participated in missions in fires in California, Lebanon and Pantanal”, he adds.

Depending on the degree of the burn and the extent of the burned area, the patient may remain hospitalized for weeks, months, and even after discharge from the hospital, they will need to continue medical, psychological, physiotherapeutic and occupational therapy follow-up.

“CNN Sinais Vitais”, with Dr. Roberto Kalil, will air on Saturday, February 17, at 7:15 pm, on CNN Brasil.

See also: Stem cells: Repair and healing

LIVE: CNN VITAL SIGNS | Stem cells: Repair and cure – 11/25/2023