Sunday, Sep. 21, 2008

Injured musicians expected to fully recover

AUGUSTA -- Performers Travis Barker and Adam Goldstein, AKA DJ AM, are in critical but stable condition, but are expected to make a full recovery after being injured in a plane crash Friday in Columbia, Dr. Fred Mullins, medical director of the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, told reporters Sunday morning.

The two entertainers have second- and third degree burns sustained in the crash of a Learjet on a runway at Columbia Metropolitan Airport in which four other people died.

Barker was burned on his torso and lower body, and Goldstein has burns on his arm and head. The men do not have any other major injuries related to the plane crash, Mullins said. The men’s vital signs and general health are being monitored closely.

“They’re doing as well as can be expected, given their injuries," said Dr. Claus Brandigi, who treated the men Saturday.

Burn injuries are not just painful -- they can restrict movement when they affect joints. Infections can also result because of skin loss. In general, internal and external burn injuries can take up to a year to heal.

But doctors expect a swifter recovery for Barker and Goldstein.

“I doubt it’s going to take that long,” Mullins said.

The men might spend days or weeks in the hospital, and once doctors upgrade their condition from critical, it will be up to them to decide whether to stay in Augusta or move to another medical facility to continue treatment.

After recovery, the men will be fully able to return to “doing whatever they were doing before,” Mullins said, adding that they are very fortunate.

“Anybody that can survive a plane crash is pretty lucky.”

The Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Doctor's Hospital in Augusta is the largest burn center in the United States.

It is a 59-bed facility that admits more than 3,000 patients a year, and sees several thousand more as outpatients. The center boasts a 97.6 percent patient survival rate. It is the regional referral center for seven Southeastern states.

Also, a joint statement was released by families of the injured musicians: "The families wish to thank fans from all over the world for their prayers and concern. Deepest sympathy is expressed to the loved ones of those who perished in the crash."

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