Citation

O'Neal N, Purdue G, Hunt J. J. Burn Care Rehabil. 1992; 13(4): 422-425.

Affiliation

Parkland Memorial Hospital, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75235-9031.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1992, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

1429813

Abstract

In spite of the fact that injury warning labels have been placed on radiator caps for the last 15 years, automobile radiator scald burns continue to be a burn prevention problem. The temperature of radiator fluid may be as high as 100+/- F to 250+/- F in a properly functioning car and higher in an overheated vehicle. From 1974 to 1990, 100 patients with burns that were caused by automobile radiators have been admitted to the Parkland Memorial Hospital Burn Unit (1.5% of acute admissions). Eighty-two percent of the injuries occurred in the summer months, and 93% of the patients were male. Mean age was 31 +/- 17 years (range, 8 months to 79 years), and mean burn size was 11.3% total body surface area (TBSA) (range, 1% to 32%) with a mean full-thickness burn size of 0.6% TBSA. Length of stay was 7 +/- 7.4 days (range, 1 to 38 days). Burns to the face, neck, and trunk necessitated most admissions. Although there were no deaths, five patients required intensive care for airway monitoring; mean length of stay was 6 days. One patient required endotracheal intubation for a total of 11 days. Ten patients required one or more skin grafting procedures, and three patients required burn resuscitation. Four patients sustained minor ocular injuries. A subgroup of patients demands special review: 10 children younger than 10 years of age (mean age, 4.1 years) of which 70% were boys. Mean burn size was 15.5% TBSA; mean full-thickness burn size was 2.4% (four times larger than the mean burn size for the adult population). Also, mean length of stay was 11.1 days (1.7 times longer than that for adults). The majority of adults were burned as the result of self-initiated action; all of the young children were innocent bystanders. Certainly all of the burns in children and nearly all of the burns in adults could have been prevented. Heightened public awareness alone would markedly decrease the number of radiator burns in children. In regard to adult injuries, the solution is more problematic. Although radiator caps are clearly marked with warnings regarding their removal, these are frequently unheeded. One alternative is installation of closed radiator systems in automobiles. The noticeable lack of on-the-job injuries among radiator mechanics is striking; further investigation into this area will hopefully provide assistance in preventing radiator scald burns that are not job-related.

Language: en