The treatment of minor burns in rural Alabama emergency departments.

OBJECTIVE: The purposes of this descriptive survey were to determine the treatments for minor burns in rural Alabama emergency departments, to assess how closely those treatments correspond with recommendations for burn therapy noted in the literature, and to identify specific deficits in the burn research literature. DESIGN: A descriptive survey consisting of open-ended questions was used to gather data on current practices for treating outpatient burn wounds. METHODS: A researcher-developed questionnaire organized into seven categories of burn care was pilot-tested in an urban burn center; the questionnaire was then mailed to 96 rural Alabama hospitals, addressed to the ED nurse manager. The seven categories--initial cooling, analgesics, cleansing agents, topical antimicrobial therapy, wound dressings, blister debridement, and referrals--were identified from both major and minor burn care literature, because little research has been published about minor burns. Simple frequencies were used to analyze results from the 20% (n = 21) of the sample that responded. RESULTS: Seven categories of burn care are common to all respondent facilities, with wide variation in the details. Most practices proceed logically from the treatments recommended for major burn care, with a few notable and potentially dangerous exceptions, but there is no definitive research available to guide the clinician in the care of outpatient burns. Research questions were generated that can provide direction for measurement of outcomes in the care of minor burns treated on an outpatient basis.

Phycobilisomes in blue-green algae.

Fifteen species of freshwater blue-green algae, including unicellular, filamentous, and colonial forms, were subjected to a variety of fixatives, fixation conditions, and stains for comparison of the preservation of phycobilisomes. Absorption spectra of the corresponding in vivo and released photosynthetic pigments, in 10 of the species that were maintained in culture, demonstrated the presence of phycocyanin in all 10 species and phycoerythrin in only 2 of them. Spectroscope and electron microscope evidence was obtained for localization of phycobiliproteins in phycobilisomes of Nostoc muscorum. Phycobilisomes were observed in all species examined in situ, strenghening the hypothesis that phycobilisomes are common to all phycobiliprotein-containing photosynthetic blue-green algae.

Purification and properties of glycogen isolated from a blue-green alga, Nostoc muscorum.

Alpha granules were isolated from a blue-green alga, Nostoc muscorum, in large quantities and high purity by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Sodium deoxycholate was used to eliminate membrane contamination. Isolated alpha granules from this species have average dimension of 31 nm in width and 65 nm in length. Each alpha granule consists of two equal parts. Attempts to dissociate the intact granule under mild conditions into relatively large subunits did not succeed. Analytical centrifugation of the alpha granules yields a sedimentation coefficient of 265S (S(20, w)). Chemical analysis reveals that alpha granules contain highly branched polyglucosyl units with short external chain lengths.