“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.

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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.

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.

Just in time for the holidays, the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council has released a list of 12 fire safety tips. Fire safety is an important topic at any time of year, but there are a few added precautions you can take to keep your family and loved ones safe this holiday season:

1. Water fresh trees daily – Keep the base of the trunk in water at all times, and place your tree away from any ignition source like fireplaces, heaters or candles.

2. Check all lights before decorating – Discard any sets of lights that are frayed or damaged. Never plug more than 3 strings of lights together, and don’t connect LED to conventional lights.

3. Make sure smoke alarms work and replace any over 10 years old – It’s the law to have working smoke alarms on every storey of your home and outside sleeping areas. Test alarms monthly and replace batteries once per year.

4. Install a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm – If your home has a wood or gas fireplace, an attached garage or other fuel-burning device, you must have a working CO alarm outside every sleeping area- it’s the law.

5. Develop and practice a home fire escape plan – make sure everyone in your family knows it, including guests who are staying over the holidays.

6. Use extension cords safely – Avoid overloading plugs and extension cords, as this can cause overheating and fire. Never put cords under rugs.

7. Give space heaters space – Keep them at least 1 metre away from things that could catch fire.

8. Avoid using real candles, go flameless instead – If you use real candles, keep them out of reach of children and pets, and remember to blow them out before leaving the room.

9. Keep matches and lighters out of kids’ reach – If you smoke, have only one lighter or book of matches and keep it with you at all times.

10. Watch what you heat – Always stay in the kitchen and pay attention to your cooking, especially if using oil or high temperatures. If a pot catches fire, carefully slide a tight fitting lid over the pot to smother the flames, then turn off the heat.

11. Encourage smokers to smoke outside – Careless smoking is the leading cause of fatal fires. Use large, deep ashtrays that can’t be knocked over, and make sure cigarette butts are properly extinguished.

12. If under the influence of alcohol, avoid cooking or smoking – Alcohol is often a common factor in many fatal fires.

Source: Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council: safeathome.ca/12days

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12 tips for holiday fire safety

1. Water fresh trees daily

2. Check all lights before decorating

3. Make sure smoke alarms work, replace if more than 10 years old

4. Install a carbon monoxide detector- it’s the law

5. Develop and practice a fire escape plan

6. Use extension cords safely

7. Give space heaters at least one metre of space

8. Avoid using real candles- go flameless instead

9, Keep matches and lighter out of kids’ reach

10. Watch what you heat- pay attention to your cooking

11. Encourage smokers to smoke outside

12. If under the influence of alcohol, avoid cooking or smoking

Source: Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council: safeathome.ca/12days

health.sunnybrook.ca

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