Progress in a Moscow children's burn unit: a joint Russian-American collaboration.

A joint Russian-American paediatric burn programme involving Childrens Hospital No. 9 in Moscow and Project HOPE in Millwood, Virginia emerged from the efforts of burn professionals from both countries in caring for a group of children seriously burned as a result of the train-pipeline catastrophe that occurred in June 1989 in the Ural Mountains. This paper describes the burn unit and its activities during the years 1985-93 and includes: (1) a general description of the physical and administrative structure of the unit; (2) the demography of burn admissions; (3) clinical activities; (4) a comparison of the clinical results of the years before the institution of the combined programme (1985-89) with those achieved during the first 4 years of the combined collaboration (1990-93).

[Organization of inpatient care on mass admission of children with burns suffered in a train crash].

The article discusses some experience in organizing medical care for children injured during the crash in Bashkiria in June, 1989. Twenty-eight children with extensive Degrees II--IIIa, IVb burns were treated in the burn department of Children's Clinical Hospital No. 9, Moscow; 24 of them were discharged in a satisfactory condition, 4 children with a burn of more than 50% of body surface died.

Burned children from the Bashkir train-gas pipeline disaster. II. Follow-up experience at Children's Hospital 9, Moscow.

A group of US surgeons and nurses was invited by the Soviet surgeons and nurses of the Burn Unit of Childrens Hospital 9 to return to Moscow to participate in the evaluation and treatment of a group of 25 children burned in the Bashkir train-gas pipeline accident of 4 June 1989. The US group had participated in the acute care of the children 7 months before. Major sequelae observed were hepatitis, cardiomyopathy and severe emotional disorders.

Burned children from the Bashkir train-gas pipeline disaster. I. Acute management at Children's Hospital 9, Moscow.

Following the Bashkir train-gas pipeline disaster of 4 June 1989, US surgeons and nurses had an opportunity to join their Soviet counterparts at the Burn Unit at Children's Hospital 9 in Moscow in caring for the children. As a result of the joint effort, both the Soviet and US professionals came to understand the strengths and limits of each system of burn care. Joining strengths through mutual willingness to listen and cooperate left an elevated level of burn care at Children's Hospital 9.

Management of extensive burns in children.

2723 children were treated in the Burn Department of the Pediatric Clinical Hospital No. 9, Moscow, during 3 years (1986-1988), among them 1465 children being under 3 years of age. Since 1985, the Department has been using the beds of "Clinitron" type, 79 children (3 months-14 years of age) with extensive burns having been treated on the Clinitron beds with air-fluidized pillows.