CHILDHOOD BURN INJURIES RELATED TO GASOLINE CAN HOME STORAGE

Objective. To examine the risks associated with home storage of gasoli ne and to outline prevention strategies to avoid further injury and de ath. Design. Case series. Patients and Other Participants. Twenty-five patients less than 6 years old were selected for study (3 by presenta tion to a tertiary care Children's Hospital Emergency Department, and 22 from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System Data during the same calendar year). Main Outcome Measures. Data collected includ ed child's age; burn injury, either percent body surface area or minor , moderate, or major burn classification; mortality; circumstances rel ated to ignition of gasoline, such as behaviors, and if can was opened or closed; and flame source. Results. Boys were involved in 95% of ca ses. Mean age was 2.7 years. The source of ignition was a pilot light in 100% of cases. Forty-four percent of patients died. Only vapors wer e ignited in 56% of cases. The gasoline can was described as closed in 64% of cases. Conclusion. Gasoline is dangerous. The rectangular red metal gasoline can is not safe either. National building codes and can specifications are needed to prevent serious injury and deaths among young children.