Mechanism - one of the following:
(1) The person sucks or chews on a live electrical wire.
(2) The person sticks the tongue onto an electrical socket or extension cord.
(3) The person has a piece of metal in the mouth that comes into contact with an electrical source.
Clinical features:
(1) Most patients are toddlers or preschool children.
(2) Burn injury may involve the lips, oral commissure, tongue, palate or buccal mucosa.
(3) Severe burns can be relatively extensive and extend into adjacent bone.
Complications:
(1) Facial deformity may occur.
(2) Focal scarring or atrophy of the tongue may occur.
(3) More severe burns may become infected.
(4) Airway management may be an issue in extensive burns.
