Shortage of donor skin tissue worries specialists

Burns specialists say a shortage of donor skin tissue means there would not be enough to treat serious burns patients in the event of a largescale disaster

Victoria is the only State to supply skin donor tissue to burns units across Australia

Heather Cleland from Melbournes Alfred Hospital says supplies were stretched after the Black Saturday bushfires

She says there would be major supply issues if another disaster occurs

quotWe would try to identify suppliers of skin from other donor tissue banks around the world and if possible import skinquot she said

quotBut basically we would most likely and for more patients be forced to do without it

quotThe situation is that we have had a great shortage of donors which has been persisting now for the last year or two at least

quotWe dont have enough donor skin to deal with the demands that are likely to be made on us in the next few monthsquot

Date : 10 Apr, 2012
Reference : http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-09/shortage-of-donor-skin-tissue-worries-specialists/3939122?sect

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