Burn Injuries Caused By E-Cigarette Explosions: A Systematic Review Of Published Cases
- ASU Author/Contributor (non-ASU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Christopher Seitz PhD., Assistant Professor (Creator)
- Institution
- Appalachian State University (ASU )
- Web Site: https://library.appstate.edu/
Abstract: E-cigarettes have the potential to cause burns from batteries that explode. Although e-cigarette explosion burns have been reported by the media (e.g. local online news, blogs), there is a need for a comprehensive review of published medical case reports regarding these injuries. CINAHL and PubMed were systematically searched using common terms regarding e-cigarettes (electronic cigarette, e-cigarette, vape, vaping, electronic nicotine delivery systems) in every combination with the term ‘explosion’. Peer-reviewed articles were included if they: were written in English, described case reports of burn injuries caused by e-cigarette explosions, and were published in any year. Cases were categorized by demographics, location of the e-cigarette explosion, burned body areas, types of burns, total body surface area of burns, the need for skin grafting, and the length of hospital stay. Thirty-one articles were included in the review and described 164 cases. Most patients (90%) were male and between 20 to 29 years old. In the majority of cases (65%), e-cigarettes exploded in pockets, compared to exploding in the face or hand. Common burned areas included the thigh, hand, genitals, and face. Burn severity was typically second-degree burns (35%) or a combination of second-degree and third-degree burns (20%). In all, 48 patients required skin grafting, with 19 reporting a median hospital stay of 5 days. This review has several implications, including the need for regulation of batteries, education regarding battery safety, and leveraging images of the severity of e-cigarette explosion burns to discourage the use of e-cigarettes.
Burn Injuries Caused By E-Cigarette Explosions: A Systematic Review Of Published Cases
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Created on 1/15/2019
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Seitz, C. M., Kabir, Z. (2018). Burn injuries caused by e-cigarette explosions: A systematic review of published cases. Tobacco Prevention & Cessation, 4 (September), 32. doi:10.18332/tpc/94664. Publisher version of record available at: https://doi.org/10.18332/tpc/94664
- Language: English
- Date: 2018
- Keywords
- burn, injury, explosion, e-cigarettes