A disturbing case series from the University Clinic for plastic surgery in Vienna shows the often overlooked dangers of electronic cigarettes. Seven patients with sometimes severe burns were treated between 2016 and 2022 after their e-cigarettes or their lithium ion batteries had exploded.
“False Rook-Real Fire”-This is how Viennese plastic surgeons describe different cases of burns of e-cigarettes. The advance of these nicotine applications also has internationally serious accidents. “Parallel to the increasing spread of electronic cigarettes in the population, more and more burns were observed by explosions of the devices or the rechargeable lithium ion batteries,” says the doctors.
Serious burns, even deaths
“Different cases of explosions with regard to e-cigarettes have already led to killing,” wrote Christian Freystätter of the University Clinic for plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery of the Meduni Vienna (AKH) and the co-authors in the Vienna Clinical week.
In recent years, this trend has also been observed in the clinic in Vienna: “We report on a series of seven patients who were treated in our department between 2016 and 2022. Of the seven victims, two also had to be treated in the Intensive Care. Two patients came to a normal station, three only had to be provided for a taste.”
Not just superficial injuries
The average age is 43 years. Two of the seven burns were women, as the scientists noted in their publication. “Most patients had superficial to full burns of the skin on their thighs and on the dominant hands, but injuries to the genitals were also observed,” the plastic surgeons reported.
On average, 4.5 percent of the total skin surface was affected. If the stay in the hospital was needed, it took an average of 12.5 days.
Fortunately, none of the affected died. However, the experts invented injury patterns that must be observed: “Explosions of e-cigarettes often appear in public, while the devices or rechargeable lithium ion batteries are worn in bags, as our study shows. This often ignites the victim’s clothing.”
Danger in crowds
According to Freystätter and his co-authors, it is not only an individual risk: “In a crowd or in public transport, this fire can quickly spread and endanger the surrounding people. It is therefore in the public interest to increase the awareness of this potential danger of e-cigarettes.”
In the United States, a current study has shown that more and more juvenile e-cigarettes and nicotine bases are using together. Within just one year (2023 to 2024) the consumption of Nicotinebag has doubled (use in the last 30 days), but the only use of e-cigarettes decreased by the young people.
Source: Krone
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