New Zealand orders 1,290 square feet of human skin from the US to treat volcano burn victims
New Zealand authorities revealed on Wednesday they had ordered 1,292 square feet of skin to treat patients who were injured in the volcanic eruption on White Island on Monday.
When the eruption occurred, a total of 47 people were on the island. And while eight people have been confirmed dead, 20 others are currently hospitalized in critical condition. That said, search operations are still underway, CNN reports.
The skin is meant for patients who sustained severe burns from the volcanic ash and gas. Medical officials revealed Tuesday that 27 people admitted to hospital had burns to at least 30% of their bodies, and that every burn unit in the country is currently at full capacity.
"We currently have (skin) supply, but are urgently sourcing additional supplies to meet the demand for dressing and temporary skin grafts," Peter Watson of the District Health Boards said on Wednesday. "We anticipate that we will require an additional 1.2 million square centimeters (1,292 square feet) of skin for the ongoing needs of the patients."
The average human body has a skin surface area of around 11 square feet (1 square meter) to 21 square feet (2 square meters).
The skin has been ordered from the United States, but tissue banks in Australia are also providing skin grafts and supplies, Watson said.
When skin is donated, usually only a thin layer is taken, like the skin that peels off when one is sunburned. The grafts are usually obtained from donors' backs or the back of their legs, according to the Australian government's donation site.
Given the unprecedented number of severe burns to the victims, the demand for skin is particularly high. According to authorities, the patients' severe burns are also complicated by gases and chemicals from the volcano that they were exposed to.
Jessica Johnson, a volcanologist at the University of East Anglia in England, revealed that there would have been so much poisonous gas from the White Island eruption that victims would have been able to taste the chemicals as well.
According to her, the volcano would have also thrown boiling hot steam clouds considering the acidic lake in its crater, adding that the patient's severe burns were most likely a result of these steam blasts. Meanwhile, Monash University volcanologist Raymond Cas said that apart from the steam, patients could also have been injured by "very hot rock debris."
Due to the complications, patients had to be rushed for surgical treatment more urgently than usual burn cases, according to Watson. "This is just the start of a very long process that, for some patients, will take several months," he said.