Cutaneous steam burns and steam inhalation injuries: a literature review and a case presentation

Abstract

Abstract Scald is one type of burn that s often mentioned alone and occurs mostly in the paediatric population. Inhaled steam is mostly cooled off in the airways, why thermal damage is rarely seen. A sudden exposure to hot steam/inhalation can cause a thermal inhalation injury. A scoping review was performed, with the aim to summarize all published papers in English, about steam-related injuries. The search was conducted using the PubMed® and Cochrane libraries on 19th of May 2021, without a set time period. Out of a total of 1186 identified records, 31 were chosen for review. Burns related to the contact with steam are generally rare and can be both minor and severe. The more severe cases related to steam exposure are mostly workplace accidents and the minor injuries reported in the literature are often related to steam inhalation therapy, especially in the paediatric population. This review describes the challenges that can be found dealing with patients suffering from cutaneous steam burns and/or steam inhalation injuries. A steam injury to the airways or the skin can be directly life-threatening and should be treated with caution. This type of injury can lead to acute respiratory insufficiency and sometimes death. A case of a male patient with extensive cutaneous steam burns and a steam inhalation injury who passed away after 11 days of treatment is also presented to illustrate this review. Level of evidence: Level V, Therapeutic; Risk/Prognostic Study.