|
|
ever worked in a burn unit or doing strictly wound care?
|
Logged in as: Guest
|
|
Users viewing this topic:
none
|
|
Login  | |
|
ever worked in a burn unit or doing strictly wound care? - January 17, 2008 10:25:58 PM
|
|
|
aph401
Posts: 82
Joined: April 16, 2007
Status: offline
|
just wondering. tell me what you thought if so.
|
|
|
|
|
RE: ever worked in a burn unit or doing strictly wound ... - January 18, 2008 10:51:40 PM
|
|
|
tucker
Posts: 182
Joined: May 24, 2003
From: Texas
Status: offline
|
I've done both and found them extremely rewarding. Worked in a burn ICU for 5 years and really miss it. Nursing typically deals with the dressing changes/debridement in the tub room, but PT and OT is crucial for these patients to reduce the risk of contractures and optimize mobility. It takes a while to get used to and you must give it time...the heat (patient rooms are kept hot over 80-degrees due to no skin/barrier)...the smells (pseudomonas infections esp), the site (patients with extreme burns over 90% TBSA), and of course the emotional aspect...but those cons are far outweighed by the reward of seeing these patients improve daily. The most rewarding point is months to years later when that patient comes back and thanks you. I still keep in touch with several patients...you just develop a close bond with these patients unlike any other population. After awhile, you don't see the burns...just the person. You gradually learn how hard you can, and must, push these patients but it takes several months to feel comfortable in this setting.
Wound care is also rewarding because you see objective progress each week with the reassessments..especially nowadays with digital photography. When you see that dramatic change from a necrotic black ulcer, to a red granulating bed, to a closed wound...priceless...But I still prefer burn care with any other PT setting. Hope this helps.
Darin Trees, PT, DPT, CWS
Solara Hospital Conroe
|
|
|
|
|
RE: ever worked in a burn unit or doing strictly wound ... - January 19, 2008 10:11:14 AM
|
|
|
TexasOrtho
Posts: 594
Joined: December 22, 2007
Status: offline
|
Darin. You don't know me, but you spoke to our class back in 2000 at UTMB. Hope all is going well. I believe at the time you were developing some equipment. Good to see you out in cyberspace. I live right down the road from you in the Humble/Kingwood area.
Darin really knows his stuff.
_____________________________
Rod Henderson, PT
Board Certified Orthopedic Specialist (or Super-Freak)
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
www.texasorthopedics.blogspot.com
|
|
|
|
|
RE: ever worked in a burn unit or doing strictly wound ... - January 19, 2008 11:12:50 AM
|
|
|
Dr.Wagner
Posts: 1242
Joined: January 24, 2003
From: Indianapolis
Status: offline
|
Wound care was one of the things that made me want to go to medical school.
_____________________________
Dr. Wagner DO
Moderator of Medical Complexity Forum
|
|
|
|
|
RE: ever worked in a burn unit or doing strictly wound ... - January 19, 2008 12:58:22 PM
|
|
|
TexasOrtho
Posts: 594
Joined: December 22, 2007
Status: offline
|
Dr. Wagner. Were you previously a PT?
_____________________________
Rod Henderson, PT
Board Certified Orthopedic Specialist (or Super-Freak)
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
www.texasorthopedics.blogspot.com
|
|
|
|
|
RE: ever worked in a burn unit or doing strictly wound ... - January 20, 2008 11:00:53 AM
|
|
|
Dr.Wagner
Posts: 1242
Joined: January 24, 2003
From: Indianapolis
Status: offline
|
Yep, I practiced in outpatient orthopedics for 3 years...on this forum I used to use a PT in my signature to help identify myself to others...I don't anymore.
My best man at my wedding was my roomate from PT school. My neighbor owns his own clinic, so still talk PT with friends.
_____________________________
Dr. Wagner DO
Moderator of Medical Complexity Forum
|
|
|
|
|
RE: ever worked in a burn unit or doing strictly wound ... - January 21, 2008 8:58:42 PM
|
|
|
tucker
Posts: 182
Joined: May 24, 2003
From: Texas
Status: offline
|
Hey Rod,
Good to hear from ya' and congrats on the OCS. Yeah, that piece of equipment that I talked about in class in 2000 took 8 years to develop. For others reading, we were having a hard time mobilizing severely burned patients after prolonged bedrest and decided to modify a tilt table to allow graded weight-bearing exercise as a transition to standing with full body weight...like a TotalGym on a tilt table allowing inclined squats in a gravity-reduced environment. The alternative was standing them with manpower which was shearing off skin grafts. Well, we published a case series in the Journal of Burn Care in 2003 and that led to the 'Moveo XP' which hit the PT market last year by Chattanooga Group.
It's now being used in ICUs at Mayo Clinics, Brooks Army Medical Center, Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Shriners Burn Unit, and others. Pretty cool how a simple idea could help so many people learn to walk again.
Anyways, here's a video clip of the Moveo:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=WbP3mHwcmeo
Take care.
Darin
< Message edited by tucker -- January 21, 2008 9:03:23 PM >
|
|
|
|
|
RE: ever worked in a burn unit or doing strictly wound ... - January 22, 2008 8:57:40 AM
|
|
|
aph401
Posts: 82
Joined: April 16, 2007
Status: offline
|
darin, thanks so much for your informative response!
|
|
|
|
|
RE: ever worked in a burn unit or doing strictly wound ... - January 22, 2008 11:24:06 PM
|
|
|
tucker
Posts: 182
Joined: May 24, 2003
From: Texas
Status: offline
|
No problem...That's another thing about working in burn rehab...The challenging cases allow for some complex problem solving. The dynamic tilt table above is just an example of what we made for one patient with 97% third degree burns with cultured skin grafts to allow multi-joint LE stretching and closed chain exercise without having to touch his delicate skin grafts. Another example is flipping the TV over at the head of bed to reduce the risk of a neck flexion contracture...watching TV upside-down encourages neck extension. If you get the chance, try to observe a day or more at a burn unit.
Darin
|
|
|
|
 New Messages |
 No New Messages |
 Hot Topic w/ New Messages |
 Hot Topic w/o New Messages |
 Locked w/ New Messages |
 Locked w/o New Messages |
|
 Post New Thread
 Reply to Message
Post New Poll
Submit Vote
Delete My Own Post
Delete My Own Thread
Rate Posts |
|
0.125
|
Printable Version
All Forums >> [RehabEdge Forum] >> Open Forum >> ever worked in a burn unit or doing strictly wound care? 
