Burn Prevention Tips Offered

Source: Union-News (Springfield, MA)

Author: MICHAEL McAULIFFE

SPRINGFIELD, MA – It was a class designed to help professionals, but much of the information presented during a program at Shriners Hospital for Children could also have helped laymen prevent burn injuries.

Patricia M. Lybarger, clinical information specialist at the Shriners Burn Hospital-Boston, spent more than two hours last Thursday night presenting, “Professional Burn Management for EMTs.” The program drew participants from Western Massachusetts, northern Connecticut and New York.

While the participants included firefighters, nurses, nursing instructors, and emergency medical technicians, Lybarger presented a range of information that would be useful to anyone.

“The kitchen and the bathroom are the riskiest rooms in your house,” Lybarger said. Those are the areas where extreme heat can be present, such as in the form of fire or scalding water.

She also warned of the potential danger of too much exposure to the sun and said plastic surgeons now recommend use of sunblock every day.

There was even a useful tip to help avoid potential disaster during the upcoming holiday season.

“Does everybody know you can put a smoke detector in your Christmas tree?” Lybarger asked.

Lybarger pointed out that prevention efforts are having a positive impact because injuries are dropping. She said that about 20 years ago, there were 2 million reported burn injuries a year in the United States. That has dropped to 1.2 million a year.

Lybarger’s presentation drew positive reaction from her audience. Although scheduled for some time, it came in the wake of the Oct. 1 Springfield fire that claimed the lives of two young sisters and left two other sisters seriously burned, both of whom are being treated at the Shriners hospital in Boston.

“Every time the Shriners puts on one of these . . . they’re absolutely wonderful,” said William F. Benoit, a paramedic in Northampton and a volunteer firefighter in Goshen.

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