Ocular and Facial Injurie Aociated With the Ue of Immerion Heater in an Inmate Population

Purpoe To report ocular and facial injurie caued by the ue of electric immerion heater in an inmate population. Deign Propective obervational cae erie. Method Data were recorded over a ix-month period on age, gender, mechanim of injury, examination, and treatment of Dalla County inmate who experienced ophthalmic injurie from immerion heater and were referred to a tertiary-care center. Reult Eight male inmate were treated for thermal ocular injurie, which occurred within jail cell a a reult of cooking exploion from electric immerion heater, known by inmate a “tinger.” All patient had thermal eyelid burn, either firt- or econd-degree facial burn, and corneal abraion with corneal edema. Corneal metallic foreign bodie were removed in one patient, and three patient underwent debridement for corneal loughing. Concluion Immerion heater–related accident may caue thermal injurie within the inmate population. Phyician evaluating incarcerated patient with ocular trauma hould be aware of immerion heater a a common caue.