[A second-degree burn related to air bag deployment: a case report]

Although air bags have been shown to reduce mortality and morbidity in motor vehicle crashes, they are associated with specific injuries. Burns due to air bag deployment account for more than 5% of all air bag injuries and typically involve upper extremities or head and neck. Aside from friction burns, thermal and chemical burns are also seen resulting from the use of certain chemicals for the deployment mechanism. We reported a female patient who presented to the emergency department with a second-degree burn in her left breast, six days after a motor vehicle crash. She was treated with irrigation with saline solution and 2% sodium fusidate ointment. The burn area healed within a week, without any further treatment. Only a slight scar tissue remained after a six-month follow-up.