At Sunnybrook’s Ross Tilley Burn Centre, we care for the majority of burn injury patients in Ontario, including those who have received burns in their houses, apartments and temporary shelters.

This week, February 2 – 8, is Burn Awareness Week. It’s a good time to remember simple steps that can keep you and your family safe. From the kitchen to the bathroom, here are my tips:

Commit to kitchen safety

When preparing meals at home, never leave cooking food unattended. Use timers, keep handles turned inward, avoid loose clothing, keep a fire extinguisher nearby and always stay close when cooking.

Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

Fires spread incredibly quickly, as this video shows. Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors regularly, and replace the batteries when necessary. Don’t forget that detectors have an expiry date listed on the back – they need to be replaced every ten years.

Remember candles and heating devices

Extinguish candles before sleeping, and check heating devices like space heaters for safety (as well as keeping them at least three feet away from fabrics). Also be sure to avoid heating pads without an auto shut-off feature, and keep all cords in good condition.

Don’t use dangerous equipment, like blowtorches, inside

If cold weather has caused frozen pipes, furnace breakdowns or other issues, call in the experts. Never take a blowtorch to a frozen pipe, or run a generator inside.

Don’t forget the bathroom…

Be sure to set water heater below 120°F, check bathwater with a thermometer and supervise children in the bathtub.

About the Ross Tilley Burn Centre

Sunnybrook’s Ross Tilley Burn Centre is the first Canadian burn program verified by the American Burn Association. This designation was awarded as the Centre has the resources necessary to provide optimal care to burn patients from the time of injury through rehabilitation.

The post I’m a burn surgeon. Here are my tips for staying safe at home appeared first on Your Health Matters.

It can feel great to get outside after many months of being stuck inside, whether that means lighting a bonfire, BBQing dinner or lighting off some fireworks to celebrate Victoria Day.

The May long weekend also marks the beginning of ‘trauma season’, and our Ross Tilley Burn Centre (RTBC) has already started to see a spike in admissions of patients who have been burned in bonfires or scalded while cooking. However, there are a few simple things you can do to stay safe and injury-free.

Dr. Marc Jeschke, medical director of the RTBC at Sunnybrook, says that common sense can prevent many of the injuries they see each summer.

“In the summer, you’re more relaxed, maybe some alcohol is involved. This is when burn injuries can happen,” says Dr. Jeschke. Here are some of the most common causes of burn injuries RTBC staff see, and how to prevent them:

BBQs and fire pits

When barbecuing, Dr. Jeschke says, stick to the rules: use fireproof gear, don’t put gasoline or igniter fluid on the grill and don’t wear loose, flowing clothing while cooking.

“With loose clothing, you turn around quickly or get too close, and the fire ignites the clothes. You then have a major injury for no reason whatsoever,” says Dr. Jeschke.

He recommends waiting until after you’ve finished cooking to consume alcohol. The same principle applies to tabletop fireplaces, which have been growing in popularity as a backyard patio feature.

“These can be dangerous because they’re at the exact same height as small children and pets. Keep loose clothing away from these too, and don’t throw any accelerants on them,” he says.

Ethanol-fueled fire pots

Ethanol-fueled fire pots are often more decorative in nature, set on tabletops or in small bowls or pots, but don’t let that fool you: they are dangerous because they use highly flammable fuels, like butane and ethanol. In fact, Health Canada issued a consumer warning in 2019 and asked manufacturers to stop selling these products.

“Explosions can happen when you try to re-light the fire, because there can still be fumes or low flames that can ignite during the refuelling process,” says Anne Hayward, a social worker at the RTBC.

If you have an ethanol-fueled fire pot at home, Dr. Jeschke recommends getting rid of it.

“We’ve seen way too many people injured while refueling ethanol fire pots. It can happen to anyone. They are dangerous, and they can be deadly,” he says.

The post Tips for preventing burn injuries this summer appeared first on Your Health Matters.

1) Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

Fires spread incredibly quickly, as this video shows. You only have only a minute or two to get of a burning building, so it’s essential to be alerted to a fire as quickly as possible.

“Having a working smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector in your home can mean the difference between life and death,” says Dr. Jeschke.

Test your equipment regularly, and replace the batteries when necessary. Don’t forget that smoke detectors have an expiry date listed on the back – they need to be replaced every ten years.

2) Take care when cooking

With COVID-19 restrictions in place, more people are preparing and cooking meals at home. Keep some simple safety tips in mind, such as not wearing loose, flowing clothing while cooking.

“With loose clothing, you turn around quickly or get too close, and the fire ignites the clothes. You then have a major injury for no reason whatsoever,” says Dr. Jeschke.

Stay in the kitchen at all times when you’re cooking, move anything that can catch fire away from your stovetop and keep kids away from areas where hot foods or liquids are being prepared, like stoves and microwaves.

3) Don’t use dangerous equipment, like blowtorches, inside

Cold weather in the winter can cause frozen pipes, furnace breakdowns and other issues around the house. Dr. Jeschke’s advice? Call in the experts.

“You should not be doing things like taking a blowtorch to a frozen pipe. You don’t know for sure whether there’s water in that pipe, or if it’s actually a fuel line that could heat up and explode,” he says.

Running generators inside is also a big no-no. You can’t see, taste or smell carbon monoxide, which is why you should be checking your carbon monoxide detector to make sure it’s working. The same goes for smoking or having an open flame around propane-powered appliances.

4) Layer up – frostbite is a burn, too

If you know you’ll be outside for an extended period of time, dress for the weather. The feeling of pins and needles, lack of feeling in a certain area, or skin that is hard and pale may mean you’ve developed frostbite.

“Frostbite is no joke. The effect it has on the skin is similar to a burn, so people with severe frostbite are treated here in the burn centre. If your skin turns black and then blisters, you’re in trouble. Get medical attention immediately,” says Dr. Jeschke.

Take extra care when fuelling up your car in the winter, and wear gloves when doing so. “Getting gasoline on your hands when it’s very cold out will cause your skin to freeze within seconds,” he says.

More tips to protect yourself from frostbite »

5) Use common sense

Dr. Jeschke says many of the injuries they see in the burn centre are the result of poor judgment. Simple activities like smoking and cooking can become deadly if a person falls asleep. Dropping a lit cigarette onto the carpet or leaving a stove unattended can ignite a fire very quickly.

“Maybe someone’s decision-making ability was impaired by drugs or alcohol, or they didn’t stop to think about the potentially dangerous consequences of a situation,” he says. “Don’t be that person.”

Note: this article was originally posted in January 2018 and updated in February 2021.

The post Five ways to stay safe from fires and burns appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Mark Opauszky exercising on the streets of Toronto (photograph by Kevin Van Paassen)

In February 2019, Mark Opauszky flew down to New York for what he thought would be a quick business trip. The Toronto-based CEO and founder of a rapidly growing marketing automation company was scheduled to present at a conference and take in a few sales meetings.

Two days in, Mark fell suddenly, severely ill. With a fever spiking and on the brink of losing consciousness, his business partner rushed him to a Manhattan hospital. Mark emerged several weeks later from a medically induced coma to discover he had developed necrotizing fasciitis, more commonly known as “flesh-eating disease,” and it had brought him to the brink of death.

“I found out later that my probability rate of survival had been in the 5 per cent range,” says Mark, now 51.

The full extent of Mark’s ordeal reads like the plot of a horror movie. Necrotizing fasciitis is a disease in which bacteria infects the connective tissue, or fascia, under the skin. The disease rapidly kills the tissue, causing it to peel, blister and turn black as it dies. Most often caused by Group A streptococcus bacteria (the same bacteria that causes strep throat), it usually enters the body through a break in the skin like a cut or scrape.

Mark’s strain of necrotizing fasciitis resulted in septic shock, a worst-case scenario where the major internal organs begin to shut down and blood pressure dips dangerously low. In order to save his life, surgeons were forced to cut away a vast quantity of Mark’s muscle and flesh to remove damaged tissue, exposing some limbs down to the bone.

The New York team had saved Mark’s life. But by the time he arrived via air ambulance at Sunnybrook’s Ross Tilley Burn Centre four weeks later, Mark says he was in extremely rough shape.

“They did what they did [in New York] and then they sort of shipped me back to Toronto in pieces,” he says.

Mark in his room at Sunnybrook’s Ross Tilley Burn Centre, a few days after his arrival.

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

Mark’s arrival at Sunnybrook was the beginning of a long healing process that would involve multiple surgeries on his limbs, extensive rehabilitation and an extreme level of determination. Mark went through eight surgeries over four weeks at the Ross Tilley Burn Centre, including the amputation of several fingers and toes. He was then transferred to Sunnybrook’s St. John’s Rehab to begin the next phase of recovery.

St. John’s Rehab is renowned in Canada for its personally tailored programs that incorporate multidisciplinary teams to treat complex medical traumas, such as burns, falls, limb loss and vehicular accidents.

Multidisciplinary teams at St. John’s Rehab include physicians, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, prosthetists, speech-language pathologists and dietitians to support patients back to previous daily functioning. Equally important are psychologists, social workers and spiritual care providers to support the mental and emotional aspects of recovery.

“We use a holistic approach to care that focuses on the mind, body and spirit of each person,” says Dr. Amanda Mayo, physiatrist (rehab specialist) at St. John’s Rehab. “It’s one thing to save a life, and it’s another to rebuild that life in a way that is meaningful for that person.”

Mark’s program involved a rigorous schedule of cardio and calisthenics designed to rebuild atrophied muscle. Physiotherapy and occupational therapy helped him start walking again and learn how to use his injured hands. He also required regular massage and stretching for his limbs due to the volume of skin grafts he’d received – an extremely painful procedure.

For the entire duration of his stay at Sunnybrook, Mark says he didn’t once turn on his phone or watch TV. A tech entrepreneur who had previously been perpetually plugged in, Mark transitioned to a near meditative state that allowed him to focus on healing.

“It was me and my brain and my time, and that’s all I did,” he says. “I would spend hours just picking one body part at a time to concentrate on. Or I would open and close my fist because I was trying to get my fingers to work again.”

Doctors anticipated Mark’s in-patient stay at St. John’s Rehab would take eight weeks. He walked out the front door two weeks later. Mark says his quick recovery time was a combination of the outstanding care he received and the extreme discipline he had maintained in his previous life as a high-functioning CEO.

“I would get up in the middle of the night, get my walker and do laps around the nurses’ station at 2 a.m.,” Mark says of his time in rehab, noting that he was motivated by his desire to get back home to his wife, Danielle, and his two children.

ONE MORE STEP

In October, Mark returned to the Ross Tilley Burn Centre for a final amputation of his lower left leg. He had a bone infection, his left foot wounds weren’t healing and despite a top-of-the-line orthotic to offload his painful foot, he was in constant pain.

Dr. Mayo says she recognized that Mark’s left leg below the knee might need to be amputated due to the extensive damage back when he first arrived at the Ross Tilley Burn Centre. But she also understood how important it was to his emotional recovery to give him the opportunity to make that decision on his own time.

“Limb loss is a life-changing event. A lot of patients with chronic infections have to go through this journey and they go through multiple treatments or surgeries that can become quite draining,” says Dr. Mayo, who led Mark’s limb-loss rehabilitation team. “And then they realize, ‘I’m actually better off not having the foot. The foot is painful. This foot has wounds. I can’t walk on this foot.’ And Mark came to that decision.”

The left below-knee amputation surgery, led by plastic surgeon Dr. Alan Rogers, proved successful and has improved his quality of life, Mark says.

He began outpatient rehab at St. John’s Rehab to learn how to use his new prosthesis. Esther Chung, Mark’s physiotherapist, says that Mark’s dedication was a key factor in his specific recovery.

“Mark is very strong mentally, and I think it helped him progress,” she says. “He also had a strong support network of family and friends, which is important to maintain motivation over the long run.”

Dr. Mayo agrees that mindset and attitude are crucial aspects of the rehab process at St. John’s Rehab.

“A patient’s perseverance is very important,” she says. “Somebody who’s very active and doesn’t have any other medical comorbidities should be going back to most of the activities they did before, [only now] wearing a prosthesis or maybe [using] some adaptive equipment.”

Today, Mark is thriving. He is adjusting to a new normal that seems much closer to his previous life than he had initially imagined.

“I lift weights. I have a treadmill. I started [martial art] Muay Thai again. I’ve been learning to be a bit more agile on my limb,” he says. “I don’t even walk with a limp anymore. Some people can’t even tell that I’ve lost a leg.”

Feeling immense gratitude to his Sunnybrook team, Mark says he is inspired to give back.

“I would very much like to transition from just being a patient to being somebody who can contribute to the [organization] in some way, shape or form,” he says.

HEALING THROUGH MINDFULNESS

How much does your state of mind dictate how well you heal?

At his Sunnybrook lab, physiatrist and researcher Dr. Robert Simpson develops mindfulness and yoga programs for patients with disabling long-term conditions, including multiple sclerosis, stroke and amputations.

“There’s now robust, high-quality evidence for mindfulness improving mental health outcomes – mainly stress, anxiety and depression. There’s also fairly robust evidence that it leads to beneficial changes in cognitive function and probably pain,” says Dr. Simpson, who is trained to teach both mindfulness and Hatha yoga.

Mindfulness can be defined as the act of paying attention to the present moment, non-judgementally. It is often taught through guided meditation practices that focus on the breath and sensations within the body.

The concept hit the North American mainstream in the late 1970’s when a program called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) began to infiltrate medical and wellness circles as a treatment for chronic pain and stress. The program had been adapted from Buddhist and Yogic principles by U.S. medical professor Jon Kabat-Zinn.

Dr. Simpson says he considers a host of factors when deciding who might benefit from a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI). For example, someone with an amputation who also has conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and depression may face more challenges with rehab than someone without these conditions.

That’s why a combination of personalization, education and support are key to improved results, he says.

“Humanistic factors like encouragement, empathy, compassion, understanding – I think these are all really important factors, and different people likely need different ‘doses’ of these things.”

The post One man’s journey after a battle with ‘flesh-eating disease’ appeared first on Your Health Matters.

“Thanksgiving isn’t ‘cancelled’ this year; it’s always important to be thankful. The most important thing is to have close contact only with people in your household,” says Dr. Jerome Leis, Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control at Sunnybrook.

He says that the next one to two weeks are going to be crucial in terms of reducing the spread of COVID-19 in the community.

“Gathering with fewer people is something we can all do right now to help get the number of positive cases down again.”

Some creative ways to stay connected with loved ones include virtual get-togethers, enjoying a physically distanced walk outside, and sending gifts or cards.

[mks_button size=”large” title=”More ideas on how to stay connected with loved ones during COVID-19″ style=”squared” url=”https://health.sunnybrook.ca/burns/specialized-laser-treatment-offers-burn-patients-new-recovery-path/” target=”_blank” bg_color=”#2c55a6″ txt_color=”#FFFFFF” icon=”fa-chevron-right” icon_type=”fa”]

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““Occupancy at our Burn Centre is already very high, and we’re concerned about needing to admit even more people this weekend because of burns from cooking.”

– Dr. Marc Jeschke, Medical Director of Sunnybrook’s Ross Tilley Burn Centre

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While gatherings need to be smaller this year, it’s still important to stay safe while preparing a holiday meal of any size. Sunnybrook’s Ross Tilley Burn Centre (RTBC) often sees more cooking-related injuries during upcoming holidays like Thanksgiving and Diwali.

On the Thanksgiving holiday weekend last year, the RTBC admitted four patients who had been burned while preparing food.

“Occupancy at our Burn Centre is already very high, and we’re concerned about needing to admit even more people this weekend because of burns from cooking,” says Dr. Marc Jeschke, Medical Director of the RTBC.

Below, he offers some tips on staying safe while preparing a holiday meal.

“If we can prevent one cooking-related burn this weekend, it’s worth it,” says Dr. Jeschke.

Cut down on distractions to avoid burns

Cooking multiple dishes at the same time can be a challenge. Be careful not to overwhelm yourself in the kitchen – a brief moment of distraction can end in a burn from pulling hot items from the oven or a fire starting on the stovetop.

Avoid wearing loose, flowing clothes while cooking

“With loose clothing, you turn around quickly or get too close to the grill or the oven, and the clothes ignite. You then have a major injury for no reason whatsoever,” says Dr. Jeschke.

Do not try to deep fry a frozen turkey

Deep frying a turkey comes with several risks: you could spill scalding hot on yourself, or burn your hands touching the very hot pot.

That risk escalates even further if your turkey is not completely thawed before it goes into the pot of heated oil. The water inside the frozen parts of the turkey will turn to steam, causing the oil to boil over and resulting in huge flames that can set you (or your home) on fire.

Don’t cook or BBQ after consuming alcohol

“This is something we see all year round, not just during holidays,” says Dr. Jeschke.

Alcohol impairs judgement and can cause dangerous behaviour such as falling asleep while food is still cooking in the oven.

If you do suffer a burn:

If it’s a significant burn, call 911. While waiting for help to arrive, don’t put butter, vinegar, oil or lemons on the burn.

“The best initial treatment for all burns is cool running water. Don’t soak the injured area, just let the water run over it,” says Dr. Jeschke.

The post Tips for giving thanks, safely appeared first on Your Health Matters.

While Sunnybrook treats many people with severe burns caused by common summertime activities every year, there has been a recent spike in admissions because of injuries caused by barbecues and bonfires.

“In the first three weeks of June alone, we’ve already admitted six patients who were seriously injured in incidents with bonfires and barbecues,” says Dr. Marc Jeschke, medical director of Sunnybrook’s Ross Tilley Burn Centre (RTBC), the largest adult burn centre in Canada.

Almost all of those cases involved accelerant, alcohol or a combination of the two.

Here, he offers several tips to keep you safe and away from the emergency room this summer:

Don’t drink and light a barbecue or bonfire

“If you’ve had too many drinks to drive, you should not be using a barbecue,” says Dr. Jeschke. The same goes for bonfires. Already in May and June, the RTBC has seen several cases where patients were injured by bonfires and alcohol was involved.

Dr. Jeschke says many of the injuries they see in the burn centre are the result of poor judgment.

“Maybe someone’s decision-making ability was impaired by drugs or alcohol, or they didn’t stop to think about the potentially dangerous consequences of a situation,” he says.

“Don’t be that person.”

Don’t use accelerants on fires and barbecues

With COVID-19 restrictions in place, more people are preparing meals at home or cleaning up brush and other debris on their properties.

Since April, the RTBC has admitted five patients who were seriously injured after using accelerants (such as gasoline) on bonfires and barbecues.

“Do not pour gasoline or another igniter fluid onto a fire that’s already burning, like a bonfire. The fire can come right back up into the container you’re holding, which will then explode,” he says.

The person holding the container may also react by throwing it, inadvertently spraying other people nearby with burning fuel.

Keep a source of water nearby

If you’re going to have a bonfire, barbecue or use a fire pit, make sure you have a source of water nearby, whether it’s a garden hose on standby or a bucket of water, before starting the fire. When a fire gets out of control or a person is burned, every second counts.

“With fires, you should always remember safety, and know where the closest water supply is,” says Dr. Jeschke.

Get rid of your ethanol-fueled fire pot

Ethanol-fueled fire pots are often more decorative in nature, set on tabletops or in small bowls or pots, but don’t let that fool you: they are dangerous because they use highly flammable fuels, like butane and ethanol. In fact, Health Canada issued a consumer warning last year and asked manufacturers to stop selling these products.

“Explosions can happen when you try to re-light the fire, because there can still be fumes or low flames that can ignite during the refuelling process,” says Anne Hayward, a social worker at the RTBC.

Last year, the RTBC admitted four patients who were injured by ethanol-fueled fire pits. Unfortunately, one of those patients passed away from their injuries.

The burn centre hasn’t had any admissions yet in 2020 from ethanol-fueled fire pots, and they hope it stays that way.

“We’ve seen way too many people injured while refueling ethanol fire pots. It can happen to anyone. They are dangerous, and they can be deadly,” says Dr. Jeschke.

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Don’t wear loose clothing around open flames

 Keep some simple safety tips in mind while gathered around a fire pit or barbecuing, such as not wearing loose, flowing clothing.

“With loose clothing, you turn around quickly or get too close, and the fire ignites the clothes. You then have a major injury for no reason whatsoever,” says Dr. Jeschke.

What to do if someone is burned

If you or someone you’re with does get a burn, the best initial treatment is cold, running water.

“Don’t soak the injured area, just let the water run over it,” says Dr. Jeschke.

If it’s a significant burn, call 911 to get to the nearest hospital. Do not attempt to use homemade remedies on the burn, such as butter, vinegar, oil or lemon.

The post After spike in injuries from barbecues and bonfires, burn experts urge caution appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Trevor Levine, centre, with his children Josh, Sara, Avery and Jack

On the Friday of the Victoria Day long weekend two years ago, Trevor Levine developed a fever. Excruciating pain in his right thigh followed soon after.

By the time he went to the emergency room at his local hospital three days later, things had gone from bad to worse.

“I needed a wheelchair to get to the ER, my lips were blue as the nurse was triaging me and my oxygen level was in the low 80’s. I even lost consciousness as I was moved from the wheelchair to the examination table,” he says.

After blood tests, antibiotics, a lumbar puncture and a CT scan on his leg, he was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis, a rare condition commonly referred to as flesh-eating disease.

Trevor woke up in the intensive care unit (ICU) two days later to learn that a large amount of dead tissue had been surgically removed from his leg, leaving him with an opening “almost the size of a keyboard” on his inner thigh.

Nevertheless, within a few weeks Trevor seemed to be on the road to recovery, even walking around the unit and starting to go up some stairs.

But then the fever returned. Trevor went into septic shock again and was sent back to the ICU. His wife Carrie, a registered nurse at Sunnybrook, knew that the best place for Trevor was the Ross Tilley Burn Centre at Sunnybrook, and he was transferred there soon after.

“What had been missing from my care was a long-term wound management plan and being in a place with incredibly rigorous infection control practices. Sunnybrook’s Burn Centre has a lot of experience with both,” Trevor says.

Once he arrived at Sunnybrook, he knew he was in good hands. After five more surgeries and several weeks as an in-patient, Trevor’s leg was finally healing well, and he was discharged home.

He became an outpatient at Sunnybrook’s St. John’s Rehab, working on strengthening his body in twice-weekly occupational therapy and physiotherapy sessions. After spending a good chunk of the summer in the hospital, “I could hardly walk four houses down the street,” Trevor says.

Five months after his initial emergency room visit, Trevor returned to work as a risk management and process improvement consultant. He feels very fortunate to have regained full use of his leg.

“I’m lucky that the infection was caught early, and I’m grateful everything turned out the way it did, because it easily could have gone the other way,” he says.

“I think it was a lot harder on my family than it was on me, but I never felt scared because I trusted the process.”

He also can’t say enough about the “fantastic” culture in the Ross Tilley Burn Centre.

“The staff really have an ‘all hands on deck’ mentality. They take their jobs seriously, but they don’t take themselves too seriously, and that made a huge difference in my recovery,” he says.

“It really felt like I was being taken care of by family.”

The post How the Ross Tilley Burn Centre helped this patient recover from necrotizing fasciitis appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Sunnybrook is the first adult burn centre in Canada to treat severe burns with a specialized laser. The results are offering some patients a new recovery path.

(Photography by Kevin Van Paassen)

Hairstylist Anna Janiszewska spends hours on her feet, moving frequently as she skillfully manoeuvres her clients’ hair into place. It would be strenuous work for anyone, but it’s made even more difficult for the 43-year-old Toronto resident because of burns she suffered when the ethanol-fuelled tabletop fire pot in her living room exploded while she was trying to light it.

The burn has healed, but a scar extends from her face down to her stomach, making it difficult for her to move freely.

“I feel like the skin is pulling, especially on the chest,” Anna says. “I’m constantly hinged forward, because the [damaged] skin is pulling me forward.”

The scar isn’t just affecting her work. Anna sometimes wakes at night with blood-stained sheets from having scratched her itchy skin in her sleep. Getting back to her daily gym routine has been painful. Then there’s the cosmetic aspect of having a red, aggressive-looking mark covering a significant portion of her body.

But all that is about to change.

Anna is part of a small group of people receiving specialized laser treatment for their scarring at Sunnybrook – treatment she hopes will ease the redness, itching and tightness of the scar and improve her quality of life.

The specialized type of laser made its first debut in Canada for paediatric patients at the Hospital for Sick Children. Sunnybrook was so encouraged by its positive results that the hospital actively fundraised to bring the laser to its Ross Tilley Burn Centre.

Donor funding played a significant role in bringing this specialized laser to Sunnybrook, the first of its kind in an adult hospital in Canada.

Dr. Marc Jeschke, director of the Ross Tilley Burn Centre, says he is pleased by the improvements his patients have experienced. He notes that for many patients, burns are lifelong injuries that cause significant pain and suffering long after the initial incident, which makes any improvements all the more meaningful.

“So far, every patient has had a remarkable response,” Dr. Jeschke says of the laser treatments. Patients have been able to sleep better at night, move their heads or hands more easily, experience less pain and generally just feel – and look – more like themselves, he adds.

Dr. Jeschke explains that the laser works by inducing perforations into the skin, including the thick and stiff collagen bands of scar tissue. As the scar re-heals, the skin is essentially remodelled to be looser, lighter and more flexible.

While the technique is effective for patients with acute burn injuries, it can also reawaken a therapeutic healing process for patients with longer-term scars, which is exactly what it did for Yasmin.

Syrian-born Yasmin, whose name has been changed to protect her privacy, was the first person to undergo laser therapy at the burn centre in July last year. When Yasmin was just two years old, she fell into hot oil and suffered severe burns to her neck, shoulders and arms. According to Dr. Jeschke, Yasmin underwent surgery in her home country, but the burns didn’t heal well and left her head’s range of motion extremely limited.

After a series of reconstructive surgeries at Sunnybrook, Yasmin was able to stand tall and look around properly. But she still faced daily discomfort due to pulling from the edges of the wound.

Since having a single laser treatment, Yasmin says she can already see results.

“I do not feel any pain or side effects and can see it looks better already,” Yasmin says through a translator. “Before the laser, the skin was thick and folded, but after the first session, the skin is [more even].”

Yasmin will continue to receive laser treatments every few months. She says she’s looking forward to “looking as normal as possible” and getting on with her university studies, as well as her new life in Canada.

“This scar has made me feel like I was different, and Dr. Jeschke was the only doctor who gave me so much hope and support. I am really grateful to him and his team,” she says.

Dr. Jeschke discusses the laser procedure with Anna (Photography by Kevin Van Paassen)

The procedure is relatively straightforward, Dr. Jeschke says. Patients check in to the hospital either the evening before or the day of the treatment. They are sedated, have the laser treatment, wake up an hour or so later and are able to go home the same or the next day. After a few months of healing, patients can have another laser session. Dr. Jeschke says most patients will require up to four or five sessions, although it depends on each individual case.

Patients also don’t have to pay out of pocket for the procedure. Because the treatments are covered by OHIP, patients are spared the tens of thousands of dollars it can cost to travel to other countries for treatment, such as the United States.

As for Anna, she has received her second treatment with the laser and says she has already noticed a difference.

“My scar is definitely a little lighter, because my scars were really red,” she says. “It definitely helped.”

She’s looking forward to more treatments, and further recovery, in the weeks ahead.

The post How a specialized laser treatment is helping patients heal after severe burns appeared first on Your Health Matters.

While you may think of them as a safer, more convenient alternative to a traditional wood fire pit, staff members at Sunnybrook’s Ross Tilley Burn Centre have seen a significant number of incidents involving tabletop fire pits that have resulted in devastating injuries.

“We’ve seen way too many people injured while re-fuelling these fire pits. It’s a problem. People really need to take this seriously, and use caution and good judgement every single time,” says Dr. Marc Jeschke, medical director of Sunnybrook’s Ross Tilley Burn Centre.

Below, two of our experts weigh in on how you can safely enjoy a tabletop fire pit as summer winds down.

1. It’s no safer than a regular fire pit

“People make the mistake of considering it safer than a regular fire pit,” says Dr. Jeschke.

Just because the fire goes on a tabletop, has smaller flames and doesn’t need to be regularly stoked with wood, it doesn’t mean you should lower your guard when using a tabletop fire pit.

Remember to closely supervise kids and pets, too. Since the fire is up off the ground, it’s at roughly their height, making it easy for an errant hand or tail to get caught in the flames.

2. Explosions can happen when re-fuelling

Many tabletop fire pits use highly flammable fuels, like butane and ethanol, so be sure to read the operating instructions on how to re-fuel properly.

“Explosions can happen when you try to re-light the fire, because there can still be fumes or low flames that can ignite during the refuelling process,” says Anne Hayward, a social worker at Sunnybrook’s Ross Tilley Burn Centre.

That can cause the re-fuelling container to ignite almost instantaneously, causing it to explode. The person holding the container may also react by throwing it, inadvertently spraying other people at the firepit with burning fuel.

Don’t re-fuel the fire while smoking cigarettes or marijuana either, because that can also cause the fuel to combust.

3. Plan your exit strategy

Tabletop firepits are often placed close to the home, with people gathered very closely around it.

“If something happens, like a projection of fuel from the fuel source, the pathways are blocked and multiple people can be burned,” says Hayward.

People may also have an altered awareness of risk and a slower response time due to use of alcohol, drugs, medications or mobility issues.

4. Enjoy responsibly

Using alcohol or drugs around any type of fire is always a bad idea.

“Maybe someone’s decision-making ability is impaired by drugs or alcohol, or they didn’t stop to think about the potentially dangerous consequences of a situation,” says Dr. Jeschke.

“Don’t be that person.”

5. If a significant burn happens, call 911

While waiting for help to arrive, don’t put butter, vinegar, oil or lemons on the burn.

“The best initial treatment for all burns is cool running water. Don’t soak the injured area, just let the water run over it,” says Dr. Jeschke.

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Whether you’re staying in the city, heading to a cottage or taking your chances with the weather and going camping, there are a few simple things you can do to stay safe and injury-free.

Dr. Marc Jeschke, medical director of Sunnybrook’s Ross Tilley Burn Centre (RTBC), says that common sense can prevent many of the injuries his centre sees each summer.

“In the summer, you’re more relaxed, maybe some alcohol is involved. This is when burn injuries can happen,” says Dr. Jeschke. Here are some of the most common causes of burn injuries RTBC staff see, and how to prevent them:

BBQs

When barbecuing, Dr. Jeschke says, stick to the rules: use fireproof gear, don’t put gasoline or igniter fluid on the grill and don’t wear loose, flowing clothing while cooking.

“With loose clothing, you turn around quickly or get too close, and the fire ignites the clothes. You then have a major injury for no reason whatsoever,” says Dr. Jeschke.

He recommends waiting until after you’ve finished cooking to consume alcohol. The same principle applies to tabletop fireplaces, which have been growing in popularity as a backyard patio feature.

“These can be dangerous because they’re at the exact same height as small children and pets. Keep loose clothing away from these too, and don’t throw any accelerants on them,” he says.

Camping

When camping, there can be a lack of familiarity with the tools you’re using. For example, while you use your stove at home every day, you don’t use your camp stove every day. The same goes for cooking over an open fire or refilling lamps with kerosene or gasoline.

“Do not pour gasoline or another igniter fluid onto a fire that’s already burning, whether it’s a bonfire or a camping lamp. The fire can come right back up into the container you’re holding, which will then explode,” he says.

Always have a container of water nearby or a garden hose on standby before starting the fire.

Fireworks

“Fireworks can be dangerous because if a large number of fireworks blow up, you get explosive burns,” says Dr. Jeschke.

Read safety instructions for fireworks before using them, and don’t let children be around them unattended. Don’t use fireworks inappropriately, like letting them explode in your hands or holding them while igniting them.

If you do suffer a burn:

If it’s a significant burn, call 911. While waiting for help to arrive, don’t put butter, vinegar, oil or lemons on the burn.

“The best initial treatment for all burns is cool running water. Don’t soak the injured area, just let the water run over it,” says Dr. Jeschke.

The post How to fireproof your summertime plans appeared first on Your Health Matters.