Australia's tissue banks are confident they are equipped to treat any people who suffer serious burns this bushfire season, with skin imported from the United States to boost reserves after the White Island volcano eruption.
Australia has tissue banks in NSW, Victoria and Queensland, but skin stocks took a hit after last month's eruption in New Zealand.
Dr Stefan Poniatowski, who heads the Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria, said donor skin was sent across the ditch and also used in Australia to treat eruption victims who were transferred to hospitals in this country.
"We sent 10,000 square centimetres [of skin to New Zealand after the eruption], and in addition the NSW tissue bank also sent 10,000 square centimetres," he said.
"What we have done as a result of shortages of skin here in Victoria is we have imported skin from the United States to support us. We imported nine square metres [90,000 square centimetres].
"That's primarily for the volcano victims that have been brought in, and in the meantime we've started to build our stocks back up again, so at the moment, we're OK."
The average adult typically has about two square metres of skin, but how much donor skin a serious burns victim might require depends on a range of factors including the size and depth of the burns and how quickly the patient rejects the donor skin.
Dr Poniatowski said donor skin acted as a temporary biological dressing for serious burns patients while their own skin grew.
Donor skin was almost always life-saving, he said, because it was reserved for patients where there was no other alternative to heal their wounds.
"The problem with skin is it is rejected, and it has to be replaced over a period of weeks and sometimes months until the wound is healed," Dr Poniatowski said.
"Because of that, [the skin imported from the United States] could be enough to treat three patients, but it could be enough to treat 15 patients.
"It's difficult to put a figure on it, but we've probably got sufficient stocks, nationally, to look after [any burn victims who require treatment as a result of the bushfires]."
READ MORE:
- ACT remote firefighting team tackles rough terrain
- Residents call for ACT-specific bushfire warning app
Dr Poniatowski said if there was a need to import more skin, tissue banks in the United States and Spain had expressed a willingness to help, and he believed others would also assist if asked.
NSW Organ and Tissue Donation Service general manager Danielle Fisher said Australia's tissue banks worked closely together and communicated with each other "the second there's a disaster" to determine how best to meet demand for donor skin.
She said the NSW service had not needed to import skin following the White Island eruption, but there was a clear pathway available if needed.
"We have a significant amount of skin in stock, and we are talking together [with the other Australian tissue banks] about stocks," Ms Fisher said.
"Really, the key messages are that we do have skin to meet demand, but there is always a need for more skin donors.
"People need to consider what their organ and tissue donation wishes are, and register their wishes on donatelife.gov.au, and then discuss those decisions with their families.
"The community should be very confident that the relevant authorities are planning for future scenarios and that we have enough skin to meet demand, or will have if something unusual happens."
The Queensland Tissue Bank did not have anyone available for interview, but a spokeswoman said in a statement it had been able to meet the demand for skin allograft at day-to-day and emergency levels.
"[The tissue bank] will assist where required with the current bushfire disaster," the spokeswoman said.
The spokeswoman said after the White Island eruption, the Queensland Tissue Bank assisted in providing skin to burns units that received patients returning to Australia.
.png?w=600)
