Burn injuries resulting from (accidental) airbag inflation

Introduction: Airbags are intended to minimize facial injuries, alone and when used in combination with seatbelts in high-velocity motor-vehicle accidents. They may occasionally perforate, resulting in the release of sodium azide or sodium hydroxide, which result in chemical burns when in contact wi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of cranio-maxillo-facial surgery 2004-02, Vol.32 (1), p.35-37
Main Authors: Suhr, Manfred, Kreusch, Thomas
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Air Bags - adverse effects
Anti-Infective Agents, Local - administration & dosage
Biological and medical sciences
Burns
Burns - etiology
Burns, Chemical - etiology
Burns, Chemical - therapy
Chlorhexidine - administration & dosage
Equipment Design
Facial Injuries - etiology
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Medical sciences
Neurology
Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology
Sodium Azide - adverse effects
Sodium Hydroxide - adverse effects
Sulfadiazine - administration & dosage
Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents
Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
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Summary:Introduction: Airbags are intended to minimize facial injuries, alone and when used in combination with seatbelts in high-velocity motor-vehicle accidents. They may occasionally perforate, resulting in the release of sodium azide or sodium hydroxide, which result in chemical burns when in contact with skin. The force of deployment may itself result in significant blunt trauma, and there is a temperature rise during the inflation causing thermal burns, possibly as a separate and unnecessary consequence of a relatively minor accident. Method: A case report is presented. The literature on such injuries was reviewed and the mechanism of airbag deployment commented. Conclusion: Alternative designs and mechanisms of linking the activation of the device to the velocity of travel or to add a switch which is activated when accessing a motorway are recommended.
ISSN:1010-5182
1878-4119
DOI:10.1016/j.jcms.2003.08.004