Burns due to exposure to steam.
Injuries due to accidental contact with steam are occasionally encountered. They can be quite severe, especially when associated respiratory problems are present. Thirteen patients with burns resulting from exposure to steam were admitted to the Joseph M. Still Burn Center during a 2-year period. All injuries were employment related. Twelve burns resulted from the rupture of pipes carrying steam. One additional case was due to a cooking accident. There were 12 males and one female. Burn size ranged from 1 to 57% (mean 26.2%). Age ranged from 26 to 53 years (mean 33). Seven had inhalation injuries with blistering and slough of bronchial mucosa. The hospital stay ranged from 2 to 41 days. One patient died of respiratory problems. From one to five operations were required by the survivors; two required later reconstructive surgery. Closer supervision of industrial plants in which pipes carrying steam are present may have prevented some of these accidents.
Still
J
J
Joseph M. Still Burn Center, Physician's Multispeciality Group, Doctor's Hospital, 1220 George C. Wilson Drive, Augusta, GA 30909, USA.
Friedman
B
B
Law
E
E
Orlet
H
H
Craft-Coffman
B
B
D000062:Accidents, Occupational; D000328:Adult; D002056:Burns / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D002059:Burns, Inhalation / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013227:Steam
D013227:Steam