Fire Crans-Montana, 14 Italian injured: damage and burns treatment
Explaining this to Adnkronos Salute is Giuseppe Spaltro, acting director of the Centro Grandi Ustionati at the Sant'Eugenio hospital in Rome, one of around 15 specialised centres in Italy.
The recovery time for the young people injured in the fire at the 'Le Constellation' club in Crans-Montana will be very long. This was explained to Adnkronos Salute by Giuseppe Spaltro, acting director of the Centro Grandi Ustionati at the Sant'Eugenio hospital in Rome, one of about 15 specialised centres in Italy.
"I don't know the patients' medical records in detail," Spaltro clarifies, "but with severe burns the course of treatment is complex and prolonged. Numerous treatments, dressings and surgeries are necessary, especially to prevent the risk of infection, which is one of the main threats at this stage'.
The severity of the consequences depends on several factors: 'The extent and depth of the burn counts, but also the area of the body involved,' emphasises the specialist. "Face and neck burns are particularly delicate because they can affect the airways, making the prognosis more severe than for localised burns on, for example, the arms or back".
Some of the injured reported hair loss.
In these cases, Spaltro points out, we are probably dealing with third-degree burns: "When the damage destroys the hair bulb, the vital part of the hair, regrowth is not possible" and baldness becomes permanent. 'In the initial phase,' Spaltro concludes, 'it is essential to focus on resuscitation, infusion therapy and supportive care, particularly nutritional and antibiotic, to reduce the risk of infection and stabilise the patient. Certainly the young age is a factor in favour of the injured'.
