RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Burn injury from filling balloons with nitrous oxide
JF BMJ Case Reports
JO BMJ Case Reports
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP e247077
DO 10.1136/bcr-2021-247077
VO 14
IS 12
A1 Matthew James Stone
A1 Natalie Megan Roberts
A1 Mohammad Umair Anwar
YR 2021
UL http://casereports.bmj.com/content/14/12/e247077.abstract
AB We present the case of a female teenager who sustained nitrous oxide burns to the medial aspect of both thighs from contact with a nitrous oxide canister being used to fill balloons. There was a delay in presentation as the injury was not initially recognised. These burns were initially assessed as being superficial partial-thickness burns but took a prolonged time to heal despite regular wound care. This was complicated by a lack of adherence to recommended treatment for much of the patient care as well as the patient testing positive for COVID-19 during their management, which prevented surgery and significantly extended time to healing. While small numbers of similar cases have been previously described this is the first reported case outside of the Netherlands and in a child. Being aware of such cases ensures early referral to specialist burn care for appropriate management to give patients the best possible outcome.