[Burns produced by lighters]

To describe the characteristics of patients requiring hospitalization for burns produced by lighter flame and to review current knowledge about their prevention.

We performed a retrospective, descriptive study through a review of the medical records of children (0-14 years) admitted to our hospital for more than 24 hours with burns and/or smoke inhalation from 2000-2004. Of these, accidents related to the handling of lighters were selected. The variables studied were: age, sex, mechanism, extent of body surface area (BSA) burned, degree of burn, length of hospital stay, the need for skin grafts, mortality, and sequelae.

Twenty-two patients were evaluated. Seventy-six percent were boys. Age ranged from 1.5 years to 14 years. Ten patients (45 %) were aged less than 6 years old and 12 were aged 6 years old or older (55 %). The percentage of BSA burned varied: 65 % presented burns of less than 10 % BSA. Twenty-seven percent (6 patients) suffered major burns (> 20 %BSA). The mean length of hospital stay was 25 days (range:4-58 days). Seventy-seven percent of patients required surgery, mainly wound debridement and skin autografting and 33 % showed sequelae. The most severe was hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy due to smoke and CO inhalation in 1 patient, who developed severe psychomotor sequelae and died 3 months later from infectious complications related to severe encephalopathy. Overall, 2 patients (9 %) died.

Because of the frequency and severity of burns associated with lighter handling by children, pediatricians should increase their efforts to educate families. Effective legislation should be passed in Spain aimed at incorporating childproof safety devices in lighters.