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A RESOLUTION recognizing National Burn Awareness Week and the Burn Center 1
at the University of Louisville Hospital. 2
WHEREAS, burn injuries continue to be one of the leading causes of accidental 3
death and injury in our Nation where tragically, children, the elderly, and the disabled are 4
especially vulnerable to burn injuries, and almost one-third of all burn injuries occur in 5
children under the age of 15; and 6
WHEREAS, in the United States, the CDC reports 276,086 people received medical 7
care for treatment of unintentional burn injuries in 2020, with 3,028 deaths from fire and 8
smoke inhalation. According to reports made to the American Burn Association registry, 9
91,875 people were treated in hospitals for burn-related injuries with 32% of those being 10
for scalds; and 11
WHEREAS, compared to the overall population, children under five were twice as 12
likely to be seen for burn injuries at a hospital emergency department. Young adults ages 13
20 to 29 had 1.4 times the risk, and those in the 30-39 age group had 1.3 times the risk of 14
the general population; and 15
WHEREAS, the primary causes of burn injury include fire flames, scalds, contact 16
with hot objects, and electrical and chemical burns. Most of the injuries occur in the 17
home. Today, 96.8% of those who suffer burn injuries will survive. Unfortunately, many 18
of those survivors will sustain serious scarring, life-long physical disabilities, and 19
adjustment difficulties; and 20
WHEREAS, National Burn Awareness Week, an initiative of the American Burn 21
Association, is a coming together of burn, fire, and life safety educators to make the 22
public aware of the frequency, devastation, and causes of burn injury, as well as 23
consistent and authoritative measures to prevent these injuries and how to best care for 24
those that are injured; and 25
WHEREAS, the theme for 2023 National Burn Awareness Week is "Scalds: Hot 26
Liquids Burn Like Fire!"; and 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS BR 1277
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WHEREAS, significant research and medical advances have dramatically improved 1
burn care and treatment, aided rehabilitation, shortened hospital stays, and increased burn 2
survival rates. Aftercare support for the physical and emotional effects of burn injuries 3
has also played a key role in the successful reintegration of burn survivors into our 4
communities. Furthermore, burn safety education and prevention efforts continue to 5
reduce the number of people who suffer burns each year; and 6
WHEREAS, many people devote their lives and careers to treating, caring for, 7
supporting, and rehabilitating burn injury survivors, including those performing vital 8
work in burn research and development. There are dedicated firefighters who risk their 9
own lives every day to protect others, as well as burn foundations and other life safety 10
professionals who promote burn injury awareness and prevention; and 11
WHEREAS, the University of Louisville Hospital is home to the only dedicated 12
adult burn center in the Commonwealth, with a multidisciplinary team that cares for 13
patients with chemical, electrical, flame/thermal, and scald burns. The Burn Center 14
proudly offers a state-of-the-art, 16-bed unit to serve the needs of the community, the 15
ability to provide care through all levels of treatment, a specially-trained burn staff, a 16
hydrotherapy room, outpatient care, and scar revision; and 17
WHEREAS, the Burn Center’s services include trauma surgery, plastic surgery, 18
registered nurses, physical therapy, occupational therapy, burn technicians, speech 19
therapy, social services, psychiatry, nutritional assistance, addictive medicine care, and 20
chaplaincy services; and 21
WHEREAS, the University of Louisville Hospital has also established an outpatient 22
burn clinic, which proudly offers services including evidence-based treatment options, 23
long-term burn care, scar management devices, telehealth capability, and other resources 24
offered by the hospital’s outpatient rehabilitation services including Travis, the facility's 25
therapy dog; and 26
WHEREAS, the University of Louisville Hospital offers a trauma support group 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS BR 1277
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dedicated to providing a safe place for trauma survivors and their loved ones in their 1
recovery process, an Advance Burn Life Support (ABLS) certification course for 2
healthcare professionals which provides guidelines in the assessment and management of 3
burn patients during the first 24 hours after an injury, multiple burn care education 4
courses, and a Stay Safe program for youth ages 8 to 17 with the goal of modifying high-5
risk behavior, reducing the recurrence rate of adolescent fire experimentation, and 6
providing general knowledge about fire safety and burn injuries; 7
NOW, THEREFORE, 8
Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of 9
Kentucky: 10
Section 1. The Senate hereby recognizes the week of February 5-11, 2023, as 11
National Burn Awareness Week. 12
Section 2. The Senate hereby honors and applauds the work of the Burn Center 13
at the University of Louisville Hospital. 14
Section 3. The Clerk of the Senate is directed to transmit a copy of this 15
Resolution to Senator Gerald Neal for presentation to the University of Louisville 16
Hospital. 17