A rare type of burn injury due to butane gas inhalation

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Abusive inhalation of butane gas is becoming a serious public health problem among teenagers and young adult population; however, there has been little reporting on explosion burns associated with abuse of butane cigarette lighter fluid. METHODS: Retrospective study was conducted of 22 patients who were burned in last 2 years in explosion of butane gas, a flammable, odorless, and colorless aliphatic hydrocarbon. RESULTS: Details of sociodemographic profile of the patients, any underlying psychiatric illness, alcohol abuse, depth of burn injury, any associated injury, duration of hospitalization, and percentage of burned area were recorded and analyzed. CONCLUSION: All of the patients were young men, and most had superficial burn injury. Hospital stay ranged from 0 to 11 days. All of the patients were treated with conservative management.