This morning began with dressing changes for skin graft patients. The initial dressing is wrapped during surgery. In four or five days it needs to be changed again. Many of our patients are staying here at the hospital because they live too far away to leave and come back.
Jisan Jamil burned his fingers when he was 2 years old and never received the acute burn care needed at the time. As a result, his fingers healed by contracture, disfiguring his hand and decreasing his functionality.
Having a dressing changed can be painful and frightening for children. Tasrin bravely sings a song to take her mind off her procedure. Sharmin took a different approach. She helped take off her own bandages.
Mohammed, 25, was burned when he was a toddler. The disfigurement on his jaw, chest and neck is a good example of a burn healing by contracture. As he grew, the burned area on his neck, jaw and chest contracted. He did not receive the required acute burn care when the burn initially happened. The result is a debilitating scar. The reconstructive surgery he is receiving today will release the contractures thus allowing him to move his neck.
Joynue burned her hand years ago which left her thumb fused to her hand. Her reconstructive surgery will allow her the use of her thumb. As we make our morning rounds and I read her chart number, she says, "This is my lucky number."