Burn centers used too little, too late; Patients treated at hospitals without expertise; FDNY alarmed.(Fire Department of New York) From: Crain's New York Business | Date: October 23, 2006| Author: Scott, Gale | COPYRIGHT 2006 Crain Communications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

Byline: Gale Scott

New york-presbyterian Hospital's burn center is a world-class unit, one of four in the city where doctors routinely beat the odds, saving patients who hadn't been expected to live. Its 150 staff members can care for up to 40 patients, 20 of them acute. Doctors perform daily surgery on dead tissue and precisely monitor fluids and body temperature. The center proved its value after the Sept. 11 attacks when it saved half of the 14 burn patients admitted,...