Abstract | March 2, 2021
Case Report: Cellular Phone Induced Necklace Burn Requiring Deep Semi-Circumferential Neck Excision and Autografting
Learning Objectives
- Identify hazards of cellular phone lithium batteries and risk of their use among today's youth.
Introduction: Recently we admitted a 15-year-old male present to the burn intensive care unit with deep 2nd degree burns in a semi circumferential burn pattern around his neck. He reported falling asleep while charging his cellular phone on his chest atop a necklace. It is suspected that the cell phone battery sustained a possible thermal runaway or a super-heating of the battery due to malfunction. The phone did not catch fire as the child reported the battery being very hot. Mother reports the phone was not damaged however upon inspection after the injury she did report damage to the charging cord. This type and degree burn was particularly concerning given many children own and use cellphones. A review of the literature indicates very little has been reported on the subject. The purpose of this study is to raise awareness to this group of patients who are at risk, and to burn providers that might encounter such injuries.
Methods: Single Case Report
Results: The patient was taken to the operating room for primary excision to the deep dermal level of excision and placed into a cadaver skin substitution. Approximately two weeks later after sufficient cadaver engrafting he was taken back to the operating room for his final surgery, split thickness skin grafting. After each operation he was observed for 24 hours to soak grafts with basic dakins solution and observe for graft shear. At two week out-patient follow up the patient’s grafts were 100% successful.
Conclusions: Because children are using these devices at younger ages due to the absence of home corded phones, increase demands of social media and gaming, they are at increased risk of injury and should be made aware.
References and Resources
- Palmieri T, Yelon J, Shapiro D. Lithium batteries: A technological advance with unintended injury consequences. J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2018;85:406-9
- Burstein D, O’Rourke C, Harringrton D. A Full-Thickness Burn in a Teenage Resulting from Prolonged Contact with a Mobile Phone Charging Cube: A Case Report. RIMJ Nov 2018:43-44
- Mankowski P, Kanevsky J, Bakirtzian P. Cellular phone collateral damage: A review of burns associated with lithium battery powered mobile devices. Burns 2016 42: e61-e64
- Rideout V, Robb M, (2019) The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Tweens and Teens, 2019 San Francisco, CA: Common Sense Media.
