Handle With Care: Baby Brody Born Without Skin
Brody Curtis has a big smile across his face, about the only part of his little body that is not swaddled in thick bandages. The one-month-old was born with epidermolysis bullosa, which means he is missing skin on much of his body and what skin he does have is fragile and can easily erode.
"He looked like he had third degree burns," said his mother, Heather Curtis, a 33-year-old high school math teacher from Charlestown, Ind. "The doctors could almost see his veins."
Bandages cover Brody's arms from his elbows to his fingers and from his knees to his feet, as well as around his skull. It takes the Curtises about an hour to change the dressing and apply a salve, which they must do each day to prevent a life-threatening infection.
Epidermolysis bullosa is a spectrum of inherited skin disorders whose hallmark are a blistering response to minor injuries, heat or even rubbing or scratching, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Brody has the recessive dystrophic form of the disease. In addition to his fragile skin, he has blisters inside his mouth and on his tongue, which is typical in patients with the disease.
Epidermolysis bullosa or EB strikes about 1 in 20,000 children and there are about 30,000 cases nationwide, half a million globally. Brody's condition occurs in one in about a million children, according to Curtis.
Brody's doctors don't know if his skin will ever grow back, but they hold out hope that one day he could lead a normal life.
"We do know that different forms can cause early death in life and it can cause skin cancer," said his mother. "Some people go on to be blind or have deformities in their bodies."
"But we just don't know," she said.
Heather and her husband Chuck, both healthy, are carriers of the genes that cause the disease. Their daughter Mckenna, 5, is also disease free.
Couples who carry the gene for the disease have a 25 percent chance of passing it on to their children.
"EB group disorders are tremendously variable in their severity," said Dr. Jouni Uitto , chair of the department of dermatology and cutaneous biology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
Twenty years ago, Uitto was one of the first doctors to describe Bart's syndrome -- one of the variant's of EB, identifying mutations in the gene that causes the variant of EB. About 15 genes in various combinations are associated with the EB spectrum.
"In the most severe forms, children can die a couple of days or weeks after birth," Uitto said. "The skin is not functioning. Or they have infections and eventually develop malnutrition and some form aggressive squamous cell cancer.
3rd Degree Burn Treatment - News
"He looked like he had third degree burns," said his mother, Heather Curtis, a 33-year-old high school math teacher from Charlestown, Ind. "The doctors could almost see his veins." Bandages cover Brody's arms from his elbows to his fingers and from his
by Lesley Kennedy (Subscribe to Lesley Kennedy's posts) When Brody Curtis was born a month ago, his mother says he looked like he had third degree burns. "Good Morning America" reports the boy was born without skin on most of his body,
Sherry Bashore was flown to Lehigh Valley Burn Center for treatment of second- and third-degree burns. The police chief said she is in critical condition. Firefighters said they think the blaze started in the second-floor bathroom.
Thompson said common fireworks-related injuries include minor abrasions to second- and third-degree burns, to the loss of fingertips and serious burns to the eyes. "In most cases, accidents happen when people aren't thinking things through or not
fire was contained, suffered severe burns and was transported to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood after receiving initial treatment at Rush Copley Medical Center. She is being treated for third-degree burns over 15 percent of her body.
Third Degree Burns and Hydrotherapy - Burn Injury Resource Center
Hydrotherapy is the external use of water in the medical treatment of certain diseases. Most burn units in hospitals have hydrotherapy rooms. Hydrotherapy softens and removes dead tissue enabling new healthy tissue to form and promote healing.
Hydrotherapy can have other effects in addition to removing dead and damaged tissue, it can:
prevent the fluid loss through the burned skinwhich may result in fliuid deplesion and dehydration. Remove debris and clean the wound surface. Provide a good environment for wound healing. Decrease the risk of infection. Decrease the risk of scar tissue formation. The wound has microbial flora, hydrotherapy help adjust them. Help facilitate physical therapy. Promote healing and the formation of healthy tissue. Help provide comfort for the patient. Hydrotherapy for burns can start within a few days of the trauma once patients have recovered from the initial shock and their condition has stabilized. Burn patients often receive daily hydrotherapy throughout their hospitalization. As the burn begins to heal, hydrotherapy may be reduced to three times per week on an outpatient basis. Hydrotherapy is administrated by nurses and specialized technicians. Sometimes physicians or physical therapists are also involved in the hydrotherapy sessions.Immersion hydrotherapy: Many burn units use immersion hydrotherapy on all patients, regardless of the extent of the affected body surface. Immersion hydrotherapy is performed in tubs called hydrotanks, or burn tanks; these may be equipped with lifts to ease the patient in and out. Hydrotherapy tubs must be carefully disinfected after each use, since infection of the damaged tissue is one of the most serious side effects of burns. Disposable liners are used in some burn tubs, and the water is sterilized. Hydrotherapy for burns should never be performed in a public tub because of the risk of infection.
Shower hydrotherapy: Many burn units are replacing immersion hydrotherapy with shower hydrotherapy, because of the risk of infection from hydrotubs and because showering immediately rinses away dead skin and bacteria. Showering removes dead tissue as effectively as immersion hydrotherapy. A shower trolley or stretcher is draped with a sterilized disposable plastic sheet to reduce the risk of contamination that can cause infection. The patient lies on the sheet and receives hydrotherapy through a showerhead. Patients with less severe burns can be showered while sitting in a chair. Shower hydrotherapy utilizes tap water, but a chlorine solution is run through the showerhead to disinfect it. Handheld showerheads are recommended when performing hydrotherapy at home, since strong hospital-grade disinfectants require special handling.
3rd Degree Burn Treatment - Bookshelf
Classic Papers in Critical Care
Title Immunosuppression and temporary skin transplantation in the treatment of massive third degree burns Author Burke JF, Quinby WC, Bondoc CC, Cosimi AB, ...American Medical Association Handbook of First Aid and Emergency Care
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