Curling iron-related injuries presenting to US emergency departments

Objective: To describe curling iron-related injuries reported to the Nation al Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) between January 1, 1992, a nd December 31, 1996. Methods: The authors retrospectively reviewed data fr om NEISS, a weighted probability sample of emergency departments (EDs) deve loped to monitor consumer product-related injuries. The information reporte d includes patient demographics, injury diagnosis, body part injured, incid ent locale, patient disposition, and a brief narrative description. The aut hors reviewed the narrative in the hair care products category and abstract ed records indicating the injury was caused by contact with a curling iron. Also analyzed were the design features of commonly available curling irons purchased from national discount department stores. Results: There were an estimated 105,081 hair care product-related injuries in the five-year peri od, of which 82,151 (78%) involved a curling iron. Seventy percent of injur ies were to females. The patient's median age was 8 years (range 1 month to 96 years). The most commonly occurring injury was thermal burns (97%; 79,9 12/82,151). Ninety-eight percent of the injuries occurred in the home and 9 9% of the patients were discharged home from the ED. In patients <4 years o ld, 56% of burns occurred by grabbing or touching, while in those <greater than or equal to> 10 years the burns occurred by contact while in use. In t he older group 69% of burns were of the cornea. Most curling irons use smal l amounts of power, yet there are no standards for temperature settings or control. The cylinder containing the heating element is mostly exposed, and many irons do not have a power switch. Conclusions: The most common injury resulting from curling irons is thermal burns. The mechanisms and patterns of injury in developmentally distinct age groups suggest that many of thes e injuries could be prevented by public education and the re-engineering of curling irons.