The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-07-30

ltlt.
Free and generous acknowledge
ment of the important role these
factors have played in the building
of the reputation of NO g." and
high tribute to the expert and con-
SCientious '-oront-line' medical
personnel, is voiced by Capt. John
E. Porter (MC), USN, commanding
officer Of the hospital, whose gross
| mortality rate Of but 0.32 per cent
over the first IL months of its ex-
iStencc is in itself, in the opinion
of the layman, in the category Of
| the near miraculous"
Most cases of war wound, arc
from IL to 70 hours old on arrival
at the airfield adjacent to NO. g."
/ located somewhere III the South
/ Pacific Fur transfer to the
/ hospital, distance of tome three
| miles, is made by ambulance. A
"QuonSet Hut" stands adjacent to
the landing strip at the airfield for
/ the reception of patients during
not-unusual tropical transforms.
/ A naval medical officer and hoSpi-
tai corpsman are on additional duty
at the airfield and supervise the
transfer Of patients from airliner to
ambulance.
Cites Success with Burns
!, Comdr. Eugene p. Owen INC,
USNR, Of KilSo, Kan, cites burn
cases as an outstanding example
of the part layed by sulfa drugs,
plasma, in-th-field treatment and
air transport in contributing to
small mortality figures.
Peru5al of case histories of burns
treated at mo. 2" unearth's a NOR
tality rate of but 2 per cent, this
despite the fact that all degrees
of burns have been seen here, and
all extents, ION a mere l per ent
to 80 per cent of the body area.
Because of the early use of blood
plasma and sulfa drugs, prompt
and excellent first aid treatment
and, last but not least, SWiftncSs of
transportation, it has remained for
the base hospital in the majority
OF cases only to launch the case on
its ultimate and definitive treat
ment, according to Commander
| Owen.
Commander Owen, aided by 1t.
Comdr. jerome l. Simon (MC).
! USRN, of Baltimore, Mr., is noted
expert on treat mt of burns. Be-
/ service, Commanders Owen and
fore induction into active naval
| Simon were engaged in the practice
CT general surgery at Portland, Ore,
ard st. Louis, Mo, respectively.
Both have been attached to the
staff of No. o. since its inception.
Simplest Treatment Used
Commanders Owen and Simon
describe their treatment for burns
assone of the simplest conceivable.
1t consists, briefly, of: Cd Debride-
ment. Cleansing the burned area
and removing damaged tissue, I'M
| der anesthes'a when necessary; CD
Application of cryG\l lime sufathi-
azole powder, which is sprayed on
with an ordinary nasal atomizer;
| go Covering the area with thin
layer of fannie acid jelly; Cd Plac-
! ing the affected part under a heat
cradle. This step serves tWo-fold
purpose: 1t causes the tanlc jelly
to crust more rapidly, it provides
warmth for the patient
Results with this simple regime
have been SO uniformly good that
we have seen no reason to vary 1t
in infected cases, which means
cases that are received within "a
hours after the burn" Commanders
Owen and Simon report.
In cases where secondary infec-
ton is present. they recommend;
q Several saline baths daily with
interim application of 5 per cent
sulfathiazole ointment in a white
petroleum base; CD Maintenance
of state of open surgical drainage
at all times.
Use of the sulfa drugs, physically
or orally as the case requires, OBJ
viates the necessity for plastic sur
gical procedures to degree hltb-
erto undreamed of, doctors report,