Researchers from the University of Washington Medicine Regional Burn Center has recently analyzed recent incidents of e-cigarette explosions. Apparently, there has been an increase of people injured from defective e-cigarette units.
More People Are Affected By E-Cigarette Explosions
One of the study's authors, Dr. Elisha Brownson, explained that the growing use of e-cigarettes will cause more injuries related to the exploding device. They were able to record 15 patients from Oct. 2015 to June 2016. More than 25 injuries were reported from 2009 to 2014 alone.
The letter recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine also revealed that 12 of the 15 patients suffered burns from flames. The researchers said that an extensive wound care and skin grafting are needed to treat the said injuries.
Five patients also experienced chemical burns. It is caused by the alkaline chemicals inside the e-cigarette's battery. The report also added that four of the patients had blast injuries.
Doctors have to actually remove the damaged tissue caused by this kind of injury. That means patients have to undergo surgery to close up their wounds. According to Fox News, the blast also created a tattooed appearance on the patient's skin.
They also revealed that more than half of the injuries were to the thigh or groin. One-third were to the hands and one-fifth were to the face.
Electronic Cigarettes And Their Lithium-ion Batteries
The explosions were caused by the lithium-ion battery in electronic cigarettes. The battery is used to change the liquid inside the device into an aerosol form. This is what the users are inhaling. Lithium-ion batteries are also used on laptops and smartphones like the infamous Samsung Galaxy Note 7.
According to the Los Angeles Times, they are usually safe. However, they can explode from short circuit or exposure to intense heat. The researchers said that the Food and Drug Administration would start to regulate e-cigarettes and other tobacco products.
