The FDA has approved a new medical adhesive (a fibrin sealant) called Artiss for use in attaching skin grafts onto burn patients.

The following is from the March 19, 2008, FDA announcement regarding this new burn/skin grafting treatment:

Fibrin sealants are tissue adhesives that contain the proteins fibrinogen and thrombin, which are essential in the clotting of blood. Artiss (Fibrin Sealant, VH S/D 4) differs from other fibrin sealants in that it contains a lower concentration of thrombin. This lower concentration allows surgeons more time to position skin grafts over burns before the graft begins to adhere to the skin. Artiss also contains aprotinin, a synthetic protein that delays the break down of blood clots.

"The approval of Artiss can help surgeons using a fibrin sealant to fine tune graft placement on burn sites," said Jesse L. Goodman M.D., M.P.H., director of FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. "The approval also provides an additional choice for health care professionals in providing burn treatment."

The fibrinogen and thrombin proteins in Artiss are derived from human plasma, collected from FDA-licensed plasma centers. Both proteins undergo purification and virus inactivation treatments to reduce the risk of blood-transmissible infections.

During a multicenter clinical trial, investigators evaluated Artiss for its ability to attach skin grafts on two wound sites for 138 patients. At one test site, the skin graft was fixed with Artiss; at the other test site, the graft was fixed with surgical staples. The results showed that Artiss was, within a statistical error, as good as staples to attain complete wound closure.

Frequent adverse events, seen in both treatment groups, included bleeding and fluid collection in the tissues, both of which are common during skin grafting procedures. Artiss is manufactured by Baxter Healthcare Corporation, Deerfield, Ill.

Labels: burn treatment, fire injury, fire prevention, personal injury

Along with holiday cheer, the holidays bring a rise in the number of fires. As you are decorating your home for the holidays, please keep these tips from the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Fire Protection Association in mind:

Trees:

• When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label "Fire Resistant." Although this label does not mean the tree won't catch fire, it does indicate the tree is more resistant to burning.
• When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches and do not break when bent between your fingers. The bottom of a fresh tree is sticky with resin, and when tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many needles.
• When setting up a tree at home, place it away from fireplaces and radiators. Because heated rooms dry out live trees rapidly, be sure to keep the stand filled with water. Place the tree out of the way of traffic, and do not block doorways.
• If you have a real tree, water it regularly.
  
• Use only non-combustible or flame-resistant materials to trim a tree. Choose tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or nonleaded metals. Leaded materials are hazardous if ingested by children.
• if you have a real tree, dispose of it after 4 weeks.
  

Lights:

• Indoors or outside, use only lights that have been tested for safety by a nationally-recognized testing laboratory, such as UL or ETL/ITSNA. Use only newer lights that have thicker wiring and are required to have safety fuses to prevent the wires from overheating.
• Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Throw out damaged sets.
• If using an extension cord, make sure it is rated for the intended use.
• Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted.
• When using lights outdoors, check labels to be sure they have been certified for outdoor use and only plug them into a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protected receptacles or a portable GFCI.
• Turn off all holiday lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The lights could short out and start a fire.
• Take down holiday lights after 90 days of use to prevent damage from weather conditions and neighborhood animals.

Candles:

• Keep burning candles within sight.
• Keep lighted candles away from items that can catch fire and burn easily, such as trees, other evergreens, decorations, curtains and furniture.
• Always use non-flammable holders and keep away from children and pets.
• Don't leave children unattended in a room with lit candles.
  
• Extinguish all candles before you go to bed, leave the room or leave the house.

Fireplaces:

• Use care with "fire salts," which produce colored flames when thrown on wood fires. They contain heavy metals that, if eaten, can cause intense gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting. Keep them away from children.
• Do not burn wrapping paper or plastic items in the fireplace. These materials can ignite suddenly and burn intensely, resulting in a flash fire.
• Place a screen around your fireplace to prevent sparks from igniting nearby flammable materials.

Sources:
1. CPSC Warns: Avoid Hazards Related to Holiday Decorating (press release).
2. National Fire Protection Association, November 2007 press release regarding holiday safety.

Get a free brochure with holiday decorating and toy safety tips at CPSC’s web site www.cpsc.gov (pdf)

See a demonstration showing how flammable a dry Christmas tree can be as opposed to a tree watered regularly. This test was conducted by the National Fire Protection Association and Underwriters Laboratories.

Labels: candle recall, fire damage, fire injury, fire prevention, upholstered furniture fire

TAP Enterprises Inc., of Springhill, Kan., has agreed to pay a $100,000 civil penalty for failing to report to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in a timely manner about defective air compressors. In October 2004, TAP first learned of an incident involving a fire caused by the Mini 2-Gallon Pancake air compressor, which resulted in $30,000 in property damage. By September 2005, TAP Enterprises had received another report of smoke coming out of the air compressor and a number of warranty claims. TAP, doing business as Cummins Industrial Tools, did not report any of these incidents to CPSC in a timely and thorough manner.
The Consumer Product Safety Act requires firms to report to the CPSC within 24 hours after obtaining information reasonably supporting the conclusion that a product contains a defect which could create a substantial risk of injury to the public, presents an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death, or violates a federal safety standard.

If a company fails to report to the CPSC in a timely manner about a defect and a consumer is subsequently injured, it may be possible to obtain punitive damages (damages beyond actual damages that are meant to punish the wrongdoer). In the case where a defective product causes a fire, it would be beneficial to hire an attorney with both product liability and fire injury litigation experience.

Pritzker | Olsen is a national law firm and has recovered millions for people injured in fires and by defective products. To contact the firm, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm’s online consultation form.

Labels: fire damage, fire prevention, product liability lawyer

A Portage, Indiana mobile home fire resulted in 6-year-old Kayla Nicholson suffering third-degree burns on 35 to 40 percent of her body. According to a story in the Post-Tribune, her flame-retardant pajamas saved her from further burns.

There have been federal regulations regarding the flammability of children’s sleepwear since 1972. Although the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has since relaxed those regulations, flame-retardant children’s sleepwear continues to save lives and limit burn injuries.
Occasionally, children’s sleepwear is recalled because it is not flame-retardant. On April 17 of this year, Disney Store recalled children's footed pajamas because it failed to meet the children’s flammability standard, posing risk of burn injury to children. The products recalled were Baby Einstein Caterpillar sleepwear and Baby Einstein Duck sleepwear and were made of 100% cotton. Flame-resistant sleepwear is never 100% cotton.

The recalled footed pajamas were sold at Disney Stores nationwide from April 2006 through May 2006.

We will post any information on future recalls of children’s sleepwear on this blog.
Pritzker | Olsen is a national law firm and represents burn victims throughout the United States. Children who are burned on their parents’ property may have to sue their parents to be justly compensated by their parents’ insurance company. To contact Pritzker | Olsen, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm’s online consultation form.

Labels: burn treatment, fire prevention