Remember: in March 2016, we were telling you about Marcus Forzani, a young American burned in the second and third degree by his electronic cigarette. It had exploded in his pocket …
A not so exceptional phenomenon, according to a report published on October 5, 2016 by the University of Washington Medical Center (a hospital located in Seattle, United States): in reality, hospitalizations due to electronic cigarette explosions are more and more frequent.
Concretely, between October 2015 and June 2016, the Seattle Emergency Professionals treated 15 people who were victims of burns because of their e-cigarette. By comparison, between 2009 and 2014, 25 cases “only” had been listed.
Among the 15 patients hospitalized between October 2015 and June 2016, 12 had seen their electronic cigarettes ignite: quite serious, these injuries required intensive care and, sometimes, skin grafts. Five patients had suffered chemical burns to the skin, caused by certain chemicals present in the lithium battery of the device: these injuries also required intensive care. Finally, 4 patients had suffered explosions: these had caused dental damage (broken teeth, for example) and skin damage.
20% of injuries affect the face
50% of injuries caused by an electronic cigarette concerned the thigh or groin, 30% more affected the hands and 20%, the face.
“The democratization of electronic cigarettes may pose new challenges in hospitals,” explains Dr. Elisha Brownson, the surgeon who led this work. Users should understand that this is not a trivial device: it is not a toy, it can even be dangerous in some cases. We must remain cautious. “
According to an Ipsos survey carried out in the month of December 2013, 21% of French people over 18 have already tested electronic cigarettes. The enthusiasm is even greater among 18-25 year olds: 40% have already tried it. And 57% of regular vapers are not at all worried about possible adverse health effects …
This work has been published in the scientific journal New England Journal of Medicine.
