Burns caused by fan heater used for managing post-operative hypothermia in a premature neonate.
Generally fan forced area heaters are considered to be incapable of causing burn injury. A case is presented where such a heater was used to prevent post-operative hypothermia after cut-back anoplasty to correct low anorectal malformation (imperforate anus) in a premature neonate. The neonate sustained dermo-epidermal (second degree) burns to the abdominal wall and right forearm which were swaddled with cloth and deep (third degree) burns to the fingers of left hand that were exposed as intravenous line was inserted at dorsum of the hand.
Wankhede
Ashesh Gunwantrao
AG
Indira Gandhi Government Medical College, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Nagpur, Maharashtra 440018, India. ashesh1969@hotmail.com
Dongre
Anad P
AP
Sariya
Dinesh R
DR
D001006:Anus, Imperforate / Q000601:surgery; D002056:Burns / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005260:Female; D006361:Heating / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000209:etiology