RIVERSIDE COUNTY: Program helps uninsured, low-income patients

Uninsured and low-income Riverside County residents with HIV now can see a dentist in the western part of the county rather than go to San Bernardino or the desert to get treatment.

Riverside and San Bernardino counties recently signed a contract, providing the Riverside County Department of Public Health's HIV/AIDS program with about $88,000 for dental services through Feb. 29, 2012, said program director Victoria Jauregui Burns. The money comes from a federal grant that San Bernardino County was awarded to provide HIV/AIDS services, including health and dental programs, she said.

The Riverside County Public Health Department's dental clinic in Rubidoux at its Don Schroeder Family Care Center will handle treatment for HIV patients, Burns said. The clinic is expected to set aside about five appointments a week for HIV patients, she said.

"There has not been a provider in western Riverside County," Burns said. "There's going to be access to dental care on this side of the county."

Until now, many HIV patients had to go to the Social Action Community Health System Clinic in San Bernardino or to the Desert AIDS Project based in Palm Springs to get dental treatments.

David Brinkman, CEO of the Desert AIDS Project, said the Rubidoux clinic could help hundreds of people.

"We have about 600 patients in (dental) care," he said. "I bet there are another 600 who could use dental care. Most of them don't have insurance, and access to dental care is hard to come by."

Reports from the California Department of Public Health indicate that Riverside County has nearly 5,000 residents with HIV and AIDS. San Bernardino County has about 3,500 residents with HIV and AIDS.

HIV patients can become more ill if they forgo dental care, Burns said. Many patients suffer from oral problems, which can be discovered during dental exams and treated.

Public health officials say about a third of people with HIV have oral problems related to their weakened immune systems.

HIV patients without dental insurance and who meet program financial conditions will qualify. Services will be free for those earning less than 300 percent of the federal poverty level, or less than $2,723 per month for a one-person household. Patients with higher incomes will be charged based on their ability to pay.

A 2008 survey of HIV and AIDS patients indicated that dental care was ranked among the top five needed services. Clients also said they did not get dental services because of a lack of area providers.

The best substance to use in the first aid treatment of burns is ...

Cold water is the best first aid when you burn yourself – 20 minutes under the tap is ideal. NEVER ice or vinegar or milk or butter or mustard or toothpaste or sunscreen or semen or vaseline or tomatoes or vanilla extract or yogurt or sour cream or egg white or lavender oil or cocoa butter or salt or tea – not until the skin is fully healed! ignore anyone who advises any of these!

i would advise that you cover the burnt area with sterile paraffin wax or aqueous cream bp. (check the links below and see if you can find a local equivalent)

cover the burnt area in paraffin wax after cleaning and removing any burst blisters – these are just sites of infection and will take longer to heal. wash and reapply every 4-6 hours – cover with cling wrap if you wish to cover with clothes – this will stop your clothes getting covered with paraffin and maintains the burn.

cling wrap alone is ok if you can’t get hold of any paraffin. it also acts as a protective artificial skin – helping retain moisture and protect from further damage and pain. cling wrap is cheap and clean off the roll. in Australia ambulances often use this when someone has been burnt. – please note that cling wrap isn’t always practical, like on your face.

paraffin creates a seal stopping water leaving the body and reduces pain as it protects sensitised nerves. the paraffin imitates the natural oils secreted by the skin. skin cells are better able to multiply and regenerate with this treatment. pain is also helped. make sure you buy plenty of this paraffin – as the burn heals switch to aqueous cream bp.(aqueous cream has a bunch of paraffin in it plus some moisturisers – look out for stuff that also contains sorbolene or glycerine as these help also). following this regime definitely will help your sunburn heal faster and peel less. aloe is good coz it remoisturises but that moisture can be quickly lost as the skin can’t contain fluids- this is a function of healthy skin.

so put aloe on, and then the paraffin on over the top as long as there is no broken skin this works great. if there is broken skin leave out the aloe – just paraffin.

long term treatment to prevent scarring or loss of function due to contractures(as skin heals it can tighten reducing how much you can move – a skin graft is necessary to repair this). daily moisturiser, daily stretches – talk to a physio, pressure bandages like tubigrip, massaging the scar. this all reduce/flatten the scar and minimise the need for further treatment/surgery.

Treatment of burns

Treatment of burns

The treatment of burns

Treatment of burns, proceedings of the second International Symposium on Pharmacological Treatment in Burns : Milano-Manguzzo, aprile 1973

Treatment of burns, by Curtis P. Artz and Duane L. Larson