Update on burn victims in Augusta

In a press conference around 11:15 a.m., Dr. Fred Mullins with the burn center at Doctor's Hospital gave an update on the condition of burn patients from the Imperial Sugar plant explosion.

Mullins said three patients have been discharged from the Augusta facility. Of the 17 patients still being treated there, 2 have been taken off the ventilators and are now in serious condition. The other 15 patients remain in critical condition, getting mechanical support for their breathing and organ function.

Dr. Mullins explained that when someone is burned, their entire body swells, including their organs, so those organs need help to keep working properly. He also said their main concern with these patients is the risk of infection due to their compromised immune systems. Antibiotics are being given, as well as pain medication. Mechanical ventilation is also needed for many of the patients because of damage from smoke inhalation.

It could be more than a week before we see any significant improvements in the burn patients. Dr. Mullins said it was like a roller coaster; they will have good days and bad days. Some of them could get worse.

For the patients whose burns are more extensive, skin specimins are sent to a facility in Boston, where they can grow more skin that will be returned to cover the patients' wounds. The process takes three to six weeks.

After the update from Dr. Mullins, we also heard from four other people, including family members of two local burn patients. Watch the attached video for the entire press conference.