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Case Reports
. 2006;29(2):156-9.
doi: 10.1080/10790268.2006.11753869.

Preventable wheelchair-related thermal injury

William Bull  1 , Michael Priebe, Gina Dillig, Diane Dado
Affiliations
Case Reports

Preventable wheelchair-related thermal injury

William Bull et al. J Spinal Cord Med. 2006.

Abstract

Background/objective: Wheelchair-related injuries are common, and with proper reporting of injuries, advanced technologic support may offer new ways to prevent those injuries.

Method: Case REPORT AND FINDINGS: A man with tetraplegia who retains only minimal use of his right hand experienced a right-sided armrest malfunction of his wheelchair resulting in his wheelchair controls being out of reach. This left him stranded in the sun for almost 2 hours in 86 degrees F weather. During that time, he developed full thickness sunburns of his left forearm and deep partial thickness burns of the left fingertips where they were in contact with the left armrest.

Conclusion: This patient's full thickness burns could have been prevented if his motorized wheelchair had back-up communication in the event of a malfunction. Technology developers must realize the need for such systems. Health care professionals must advocate for a higher standard of safety and report injuries related to wheelchair malfunction.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. The patient's wheelchair with joystick controls and chest restraint.
Figure 2
Figure 2. The patient's wheelchair armrest held on the chair with a single bolt. This armrest disconnected from the chair and left the patient without access to the controls.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Full thickness burns on patient's left dorsal volar forearm from unprotected sun exposure.
Figure 4
Figure 4. Grafted forearm burns healing well at 1-month postoperative visit.
Figure 5
Figure 5. Fingertips initially burned where they had direct contact with black armrest were healing well at 1-month postoperative visit.
Figure 6
Figure 6. Tattoo on patient's right arm. The tattoo on the left immobile arm was destroyed by the burn.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

References

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Publication types