I have a question for George W. Bush...
I have just gotten a new patient. He is a 12-year-old male Caucasian weighing 47kg. He presents with 2nd and 3rd degree burns to an estimated 10% of his total body surface area, centered on the right upper extremity, non-circumferentially, and the right upper lateral chest. The wounds are mottled pink and white with scarce to sluggish blanching. The patient has good capillary refill, positive dopplers, and good CSM to that extremity. The wounds culture out abundant multiple-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
I am considering manually debriding the eschar, then applying a 5% solution of mafenide acetate q6 hours to the affected areas, in order to treat the gram-negative rods, for two days before re-evaluating for possible autografting.
However, the patient receives his health care through the SCHIP program, and his parents earn more than $60,000 per year. So I am interested in knowing whether the suggested treatment is in accordance with the president's conservative principles? I am concerned that I may be inadvertently promoting socialized medicine.
A little help, Mr. President?