Aliamanu fireworks survivors face long recovery
By Kristen Consillio
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PHOENIX, Hawaii (KITV) — Two weeks after the fatal fireworks disaster on New Year’s Day, burn survivors are on course in their long recovery.
But the road ahead won’t be an easy one.
The burn survivors have already had complications from infections from what doctors are describing as injuries similar to battlefield wounds.
The six patients transferred from Oahu to the Arizona Burn Center are still intubated in medically induced comas.
They endure operations every few days to get the burns off and reconstruct their bodies.
The director of the Arizona Burn Center said complications from infections stem from the traumatic injuries from flying particles and debris caused by the massive explosion.
“These injuries are explosive type injuries so in addition to the thermal injury that comes from the heat and the flame and the fire we also have an explosive nature to this with particles moving at very high speeds striking patients,” said Dr. Kevin Foster, director of the Arizona Burn Center of Valleywise Health.
The center director said therapists and psychologists are on hand for when patients wake up in Arizona and see their injuries for the first time.
Because they will have to deal with the psychological affects of this tragedy for the rest of their lives.
It’s a long-term healing process that could take months, if not most of this year.
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