According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 250,000 children in the United States are seriously burned every year. The results of a recent study indicate that children who ride recreational vehicles could be at risk for serious burns if they touch exhaust pipes, which frequently reach temperatures over 392 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
Researchers reviewed 10 years' worth of medical records and identified 23 children under the age of 18 who'd received medical treatment for exhaust system burns. For each patient, doctors noted how the injury occurred, how much of the body was burned, whether the child needed surgery or other treatment, and whether the child needed to be hospitalized.
Most of the injured children were boys, and more than three quarters of the children were under age 13. Seven out of the 23 children were burned when they touched the exhaust system of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), but children also experienced burns when they came in contact with the exhausts or mufflers of cars. Touching the exhaust systems of motorcycles, golf carts, dirt bikes, tractors, and go-cart mufflers also caused injury.
On average, children burned by exhaust systems had burns covering 5% of their bodies, and almost two thirds of the injured children had deep burns that destroyed all layers of the skin. All but two of the children in the study needed surgery - such as skin grafting - to treat their burns. In some cases, burned children had other health problems in addition to their wounds, such as infections, facial cuts, and broken bones. Even though many of the children in this study were riding recreational vehicles at the time they were injured, only one of the 23 children wore a protective helmet.
What This Means to You: When skin comes in contact with an extremely hot exhaust or muffler pipe, the burns that result can be severe and often require surgical treatment. To protect your child from contact burns from exhaust systems, make sure your child avoids riding ATVs or motorcycles unless he or she has a drivers' license and driving experience. Keep young children from operating these vehicles, supervise them closely when they're near these vehicles, and teach them that touching exhausts or mufflers is dangerous. If your child is burned after touching an exhaust or muffler, seek medical treatment right away.
Source: Kathryn J. Nelson; Elizabeth A. Beierle; Journal of Pediatric Surgery, April 2005
Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: June 2005
