Six patients from a New Year’s fireworks explosion in Aliamanu are still fighting for their lives in intensive care at a specialized burn center in Arizona.
The six severely injured patients, who earlier this month were transferred from Hawaii to the Diane & Bruce Halle Arizona Burn Center—Valleywise Health, are still intubated and sedated, according to director Dr. Kevin Foster.
That is not unusual for patients with severe burns, he said.
“Generally, we keep people intubated, sedated, sleepy and forgetful until we get most of their burn covered, and none of these patients are even close to that period yet, ” he said during a media update Friday morning. But “everybody’s on course ” in the recovery process, and reconstruction and skin grafting efforts have begun, he said.
The Arizona Burn Foundation, meanwhile, is assisting patients’ families with lodging and transportation needs, as well as guidance on what to expect in the months ahead, with the support of donors.
Rex Albright, president and CEO of the foundation, said it is working with about 20 family members, each with their own visitation plans.
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“We do have hotel partners, ” he said. “We have partners that are letting us use some Airbnb housing. We have other options that we’re looking into for future housing needs. We do know this is a long-term impact for these families, and we’re trying to make their stay as comfortable as possible.”
The Arizona Burn Center took five patients transferred from The Queen’s Medical Center and one from Straub Benioff Medical Center on Oahu the first weekend of January.
The six patients on Jan. 4 were transported by a C-17 military jet from Joint Base Pearl-Harbor-Hickam on Oahu to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Arizona. They were met by the Phoenix Fire Department and transported by ambulance to the burn center.
Foster said all six, described as in their 20s and 30s, experienced burns on 50 % or more of their bodies, and are looking at at least three or four months of recovery, plus additional time for rehabilitation and reconstructive surgery. Additionally, these patients had “significant, traumatic injuries ” in the form of puncture wounds from flying particles and debris.
When asked about treatment costs, Foster said patients’ insurance plans will be billed, and can be worked out later. He said the top priority now is to care for the patients.
Straub officials, meanwhile, said it was able to discharge one patient from the Aliamanu incident.
“We continue to care for some of the most serious and critically injured patients from the Aliamanu fireworks tragedy, ” said Travis Clegg, Straub chief operating officer, in a statement. “We were able to discharge one patient. A few will require several surgeries in their road to recovery. Our Burn Care Unit is also managing very complex wound care that requires specialized equipment and constant monitoring to prevent infections. We are truly thankful for our burn care team’s commitment to serve these patients and their families during this difficult time.”
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