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Published on: October 12, 2012
Deployed Airbag Causes Bullous Reaction Following a Motor Vehicle Accident
Katlin R Poladian1, Rechelle Tull1, Karen S Strenge1
1Dr. Poladian is from the Department of Dermatology, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Carson, California. Drs. Tull, Strenge, Ahn, and McMichael are from Wake Forest Baptist, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Drs. Tull, Ahn, and McMichael are from the Department of Dermatology, and Dr. Strenge is from the Department of Pathology.
Abstract:
Airbags can be lifesaving during a motor vehicle accident (MVA), but airbag deployment has been the cause of dermatologic injuries including irritant dermatitis, as well as thermal, friction, and chemical burns. A highly corrosive alkaline aerosol composed of sodium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate, and metallic oxides is released during airbag deployment. We present the case of a 35-year-old man who developed a bullous reaction to released by-products from airbag deployment during an MVA.
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