Citation

Desouches C, Salazard B, Romain F, Karra C, Lavie A, Volpe CD, Manelli JC, Magalon G. Burns 2006; 32(8): 1028-1031.

Affiliation

Regional Burn Center, Assistance Publique – Hopitaux de Marseille, Marseille, France.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.burns.2006.03.019

PMID

16982156

Abstract

The use of pre-filled valveless gas canisters for lamps or camping stoves has caused a number of serious burn incidents. We performed a retrospective analysis of all of the patients who were victims of such incidents admitted to the Marseille Burn Centre between January 1990 and March 2004. There were a total of 21 patients burned in such conditions. Adult males made up the majority of the victims of this sort. Lesions were often extensive (60% of the patients were burned over more than 10% of their body surface) and systematically deep. In order of frequency, burn locations were: the lower limbs, the upper limbs, the hands and the face. The incidents principally occurred during replacement of the canister near an open flame. The marketing of a canister with a valve in order to avoid gas leaks did not cause the old canisters to be taken off the market. On the contrary, European Safety Standard EN417, updated in October 2003, validated the use of these valveless canisters. The severity of the lesions caused and the existence of safe equivalent products requires the passage of a law that forbids valveless canisters.

Language: en