title: Ocular and facial injuries associated with the use of immersion heaters in an inmate population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report ocular and facial injuries caused by the use of electric immersion heaters in an inmate population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective observational case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were recorded over a six-month period on age, gender, mechanism of injury, examination, and treatment of Dallas County inmates who experienced ophthalmic injuries from immersion heaters and were referred to a tertiary-care center.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight male inmates were treated for thermal ocular injuries, which occurred within jail cells as a result of cooking explosions from electric immersion heaters, known by inmates as "stingers." All patients had thermal eyelid burns, either first- or second-degree facial burns, and corneal abrasions with corneal edema. Corneal metallic foreign bodies were removed in one patient, and three patients underwent debridement for corneal sloughing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Immersion heater-related accidents may cause thermal injuries within the inmate population. Physicians evaluating incarcerated patients with ocular trauma should be aware of immersion heaters as a common cause.
authors.affiliation: UT Southwestern, Department of Ophthalmology, Dallas, TX 75390, USA. JYoung@parknet.pmh.org
authors.forename: Jared R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Younger
authors.forename: Adam R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Fedyk
authors.forename: John G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: McHenry
authors.forename: Preston H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Blomquist
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001753:Blast Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D002058:Burns, Electric / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D003296:Cooking / Q000295:instrumentation; D065306:Corneal Injuries; D005107:Explosions; D005126:Eye Burns / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D005129:Eye Foreign Bodies / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D005143:Eyelids / Q000293:injuries*; D005151:Facial Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006361:Heating / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011329:Prisoners; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013781:Texas