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Case Reports
. 2021 Dec 1;14(12):e247077.
doi: 10.1136/bcr-2021-247077.

Burn injury from filling balloons with nitrous oxide

Matthew James Stone  1 , Natalie Megan Roberts  2 , Mohammad Umair Anwar  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Burn injury from filling balloons with nitrous oxide

Matthew James Stone et al. BMJ Case Rep. .

Abstract

We present the case of a female teenager who sustained nitrous oxide burns to the medial aspect of both thighs from contact with a nitrous oxide canister being used to fill balloons. There was a delay in presentation as the injury was not initially recognised. These burns were initially assessed as being superficial partial-thickness burns but took a prolonged time to heal despite regular wound care. This was complicated by a lack of adherence to recommended treatment for much of the patient care as well as the patient testing positive for COVID-19 during their management, which prevented surgery and significantly extended time to healing. While small numbers of similar cases have been previously described this is the first reported case outside of the Netherlands and in a child. Being aware of such cases ensures early referral to specialist burn care for appropriate management to give patients the best possible outcome.

Keywords: drug misuse (including addiction); medical-surgical nursing; paediatrics; plastic and reconstructive surgery; trauma.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution of burn injuries on day 1.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Left: Scarring 10 months after the injury (7 months after healing)
Figure 3
Figure 3
Right: Scarring 10 months after the injury (7 months after healing)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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