1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: Waste on properties. Now joining us on the line to 2 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: tell us a little bit more about what we need 3 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 1: to be aware of and really how to treat burns. 4 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:11,520 Speaker 1: It is the manager of the Burns Ward at Royal 5 00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:15,880 Speaker 1: Darwin Hospital, Margaret Brennan. Good morning to you, Margaret, morning Katie. 6 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:17,160 Speaker 2: How are you? Yeah, not too bad? 7 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:20,160 Speaker 1: Thanks so much for your time today. That's a worry 8 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: to hear that there has been a spike in excelerant 9 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:25,799 Speaker 1: related flame injuries. Why do you reckon that is? 10 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 2: Look, I think I think we had was listening to 11 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 2: a little bit of radio this morning when I was 12 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 2: in dealing with a patient. I heard your conversations with 13 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 2: convatscallus and look, we I think we have had a 14 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 2: very good wet season and at leaves everything leaving quite wet. So, 15 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:48,839 Speaker 2: particularly in the real area where people have got a 16 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:53,559 Speaker 2: lot of vegetation happening, they tend to use where all 17 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 2: of that humidity is sitting. They tend to use a 18 00:00:56,360 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 2: lot of fuels and accelerants to light up their eyes 19 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 2: when cleaning up properties, right, and. 20 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 1: So then obviously are we unfortunately sometimes end up in 21 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:09,320 Speaker 1: a situation where people are then injured and burnt while 22 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:12,679 Speaker 1: using that accelerant. Does it make it quite luck? Does 23 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: it make those burns quite a bit worse? Margaret, when 24 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:17,280 Speaker 1: there is that accelerant used. 25 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 2: Yes, it is now often often people will use some 26 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 2: kind of petrol or petrol mix to light things up, 27 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 2: and certainly having an accelerant on the skin at the 28 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 2: time and coupled with a flame, we have what's called 29 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:37,280 Speaker 2: high octane. So they burn very fast and very hot. Wow. 30 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:41,200 Speaker 2: So we often find that those burns when they present, 31 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:44,679 Speaker 2: you know, twenty plus years of experience from my perspective, 32 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 2: I will always be cautious about those burns. I know 33 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 2: they're going to be deep. They're invariably very very deep, 34 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 2: and more often than not, I'd say over eighty five 35 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 2: percent of them will end up with a graft. 36 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 1: Margaret, What is the what is the best way if 37 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:05,280 Speaker 1: we find ourselves in a situation where we are burnt, 38 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:08,360 Speaker 1: you know, on our property, at our home, what's the 39 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:11,360 Speaker 1: best way initially for us to try to deal with that? 40 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 2: Sure, so, Katie, we have of this home all the time. 41 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:20,239 Speaker 2: But the absolute gold standard best thing you can possibly 42 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:24,080 Speaker 2: do is run some cool running water over that burn. 43 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:27,680 Speaker 2: Sometimes the water coming out of our garden hose is 44 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:30,919 Speaker 2: not necessarily cool. Find the coolest source of water that 45 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:34,399 Speaker 2: you can run that hose for a little while. Twenty 46 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:38,960 Speaker 2: minutes sitting under some cool running water is absolutely the 47 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 2: best way to try and treat that burn, and we 48 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 2: have seen it time and time again. It is the 49 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 2: difference between possibly ending up with a split skin graft 50 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 2: and some extended time in hospital and rehabilitation some life changes, 51 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 2: as opposed to maybe not needing all of that. Wow, 52 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:00,959 Speaker 2: twenty minutes of cool running order. If you don't have 53 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 2: a source of cool running water, find one, because that 54 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:08,960 Speaker 2: first date is still going to be effective up to 55 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:10,360 Speaker 2: three hours after the burn. 56 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:13,960 Speaker 1: Wow, goodness. May you know I wouldn't have realized that 57 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 1: it actually makes that bigger difference actually doing that. 58 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:21,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, now what the research done on that? And 59 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 2: most of the research has come out of Australia and 60 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 2: in fact out of Queensland. 61 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 1: Goodness mate, you so twenty Have you worked in that 62 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 1: area of burn's specialty for around twenty years, have you, Margaret? 63 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 2: Yeah? Since the Balley bombings. Yeah wow, first Barley bombing. 64 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 2: So I have been a part of many mass casualty responses. 65 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:45,120 Speaker 1: Goodness, may you must have seen some you know, some 66 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 1: really interesting stuff, some pretty frightening stuff in that time. 67 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 1: But it must be such a rewarding career as well. 68 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 2: Certainly have I think I have a bit of a 69 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 2: passion for skin. YEP, It's one of our biggest organ 70 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 2: and it's regenerative provided we give it the right treatment. 71 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, and it must be a real. 72 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:07,560 Speaker 2: How of that first date. Like I said, this is 73 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 2: actually quite exciting because I've had enough years to really 74 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 2: see the difference between administering just pretty simply some cool 75 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 2: running water as opposed to not. 76 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:21,599 Speaker 1: Yeah, and has that, Like has the way in which 77 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 1: we deal with burns over the years, and certainly since 78 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:26,280 Speaker 1: since you've been in your role, has it? Has it 79 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:27,840 Speaker 1: evolved quite substantially? 80 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:33,159 Speaker 2: Do you know? That's one thing? Certainly our treatment of 81 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:36,479 Speaker 2: burns has evolved. I always say that I've been looking 82 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 2: after burns since since, you know, since time began, and 83 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 2: it certainly our dressings have changed massively and the way 84 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:50,040 Speaker 2: we treat burn scars all of that. You know, I 85 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:54,520 Speaker 2: think a lot of people think that historically that that 86 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:57,839 Speaker 2: people end up with some horrible, horrible scars, and sometimes 87 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 2: they do, that's unavoidable. But but our dressings have changed 88 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:06,039 Speaker 2: the way we you know, the way we treat burns 89 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:11,839 Speaker 2: these days is has changed dramatically. That first day message 90 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:15,800 Speaker 2: has not changed certainly in the last ten to fifteen years. 91 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:20,320 Speaker 2: It's been very, very consistent in its messaging and it's 92 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:23,040 Speaker 2: in its approach. So you know, if you don't have 93 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:26,240 Speaker 2: core running water, the best thing I hear lots of 94 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:30,160 Speaker 2: stories as you can imagine, I dived in the pool, fantastic, 95 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 2: or I dived in the nearest billabong. As long as 96 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:36,680 Speaker 2: it doesn't have a crocodile in it, cool that burn 97 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:39,920 Speaker 2: as best you possibly can. I prefer not sea water 98 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:42,159 Speaker 2: because it has a lot of bugs in it, but 99 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 2: we can deal with the bugs later. It's finding some 100 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:49,719 Speaker 2: core running water to reduce the depth of that burn. 101 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'll tell you what. I'm really fascinated, you know, 102 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 1: by what you've told us this morning, Margaret, But I'm 103 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 1: really fascinated by your story as well. I've got you know, 104 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 1: I've got a lot of respect for our nursing stuff 105 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:03,600 Speaker 1: and the wonderful work that you guys do. Then when 106 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:07,599 Speaker 1: you talk about burns and the incredible work that you've 107 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 1: been involved in over the last twenty years, I reckon 108 00:06:10,279 --> 00:06:10,880 Speaker 1: it's amazing. 109 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:15,640 Speaker 2: Thank you baby. It is a passion and yeah, I 110 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:16,279 Speaker 2: love what I do. 111 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:20,239 Speaker 1: Yeah O Will Nurse manager of the Burns Ward, Margaret Brennan, 112 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 1: we really appreciate your time this morning and appreciate you 113 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:26,200 Speaker 1: having a chat with us about this. I mean, it 114 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:28,360 Speaker 1: is a concern obviously to see that there has been 115 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:31,719 Speaker 1: an increase in burn's injuries from the dry season burnoffs 116 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:35,880 Speaker 1: on those rural properties. So I do hope that everybody 117 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:38,159 Speaker 1: out there listening if they are doing any of that 118 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:39,920 Speaker 1: kind of burning. I don't even know if it's still 119 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:42,920 Speaker 1: allowed at this time of the year, but do make 120 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:45,599 Speaker 1: sure that you know that first aid and what you 121 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 1: need to do if you do suffer from a burn. 122 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:51,920 Speaker 2: Absolutely, and we're always here. Give us a call if 123 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:54,360 Speaker 2: you don't know what to do, call Triple zero. 124 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:55,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, well call us. 125 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:56,839 Speaker 2: We're here Monday to Friday. 126 00:06:57,000 --> 00:06:59,160 Speaker 1: Oh Margaret, good on you. Thanks so much for your 127 00:06:59,160 --> 00:06:59,799 Speaker 1: time this morning.