Some of the victims from the Savannah sugar refinery fire are suffering burns from flames and high heat and likely face months of recovery, said the medical director of the Doctors Hospital Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, where at least 17 were brought.
Burn surgeon Fred Mullins said he operated on eight of them so far.
"They're primarily flame burns," Dr. Mullins said in an interview this afternoon with The Chronicle. "The most common injuries we're seeing are burns to the face and upper extremities and on to the chest."
The high heat from the blast also caused "deep burns" that often require removing the skin down to the tough covering over the muscle, called the fascia, Dr. Mullins said. The burn center uses cadaver skin as a temporary covering for those wounds until it can use skin grafts later on.
Some of the "very, very critical" patients probably have about 10-20 percent chance of survival while the critical patients are about 60-80 percent likely to survive, Dr. Mullins said.
"And its not out of question for the bigger (burns) to survive, not in this day and age," he said. "We have a 98 percent survival rate."
The next few days should provide a better picture of that, Dr. Mullins said.
"The first five days are probably the most critical" for burn patients, he said.
Dr. Mullins was hoping to finish up Friday with the initial surgeries.
"Everybody been up all night so we'll try to get a little rest tonight," he said. "And come right back tomorrow."
------------------------------------
WANT TO HELP?
Shepeard Community Blood Center is asking for assistance.
Because of the explosion in Savannah on Thursday, there is an increase in burn patients at Doctors Hospital. Members of the community who wish to donate platelets and whole blood have several opportunties.
Today - 8 Feb 2008
Shepeard Community Blood Center (Platelets and Whole Blood)
1533 Wrightsboro Road, August, GA 30904
9 AM -- 6 PM
Shepeard Community Blood Center Martinez (Whole Blood)
112 Davis Road, Martinez, GA 30907
10 AM -- 2 PM
Shepeard Community Blood Center Aiken (Whole Blood)
353 Fabian Drive, Hitchcock Plaza, Aiken, SC 29803
10 AM -- 6 PM
Shepeard Community Blood Center Evans (Platelets and Whole Blood)
460 North Bel Air Road, Evans, GA 30809
10 AM -- 6 PM
Barnwell Community Hospital
9988 Dunbarton Blvd., Barnwell, SC 29812
9 AM -- 12 PM
Edgefield Hospital
300 Ridge Medical Plaza, Edgefield, SC 29824
2 PM -- 7 PM
Edgefield Community -- BiLo Shopping Center
227 Apple Square Plaza, Edgefield, SC 29824
2 PM -- 7 PM
Hooter's of Augusta
2834 Washington Road, Augusta, GA 30909
3 PM -- 6 PM
Saturday -- 9 Feb 2008
Shepeard Community Blood Center (Platelets and Whole Blood)
1533 Wrightsboro Road, Augusta, GA 30904
8 AM -- 2 PM
Shepeard Community Blood Center Evans (Platelets and Whole Blood)
460 North Bel Air Road, Evans, GA 30809
8 AM -- 2 PM
New Holland Mennonite Church
2539 Old Ninety Six Indian Trail Road, Batesburg, SC 29006
8 AM -- 1 PM
Wal-Mart Evans
4471 Washington Road, Evans, GA 30809
10 AM -- 4 PM
Sunday 10 Feb 2008
Wesley United Methodist Church
825 North Belair Road, Evans, GA 30809
8:30 AM -- 1:30 PM
Covenant Presbyterian Church
3131 Walton Way, Augusta, GA 30909
9:30 -- 1:30 PM
Lewis Memorial Church
3614 Washington Road, Martinez, GA 30907
8 AM -- 12:30 PM
Shepeard Community Blood Center locations and normal hours (additional hours for this Saturday are listed above):
Augusta, GA Aiken, SC
1533 Wrightsboro Road 353 Fabian Drive, Hitchcock Plaza
Mon. - Fri., 9-6 Tues. -- Sat., 10-6
Martinez, GA Evans, GA
112 Davis Road 460 North Belair Road
Tues. -- Fri., 10-6, Sat., 10-2 Mon. -- Fri., 10-6
Reach Tom Corwin at 706-823-3213 or tom.corwin@augustachronicle.com
