An Unusual Case of Car Seat Burn

Motor vehicle related burns occur due to various causes. The documented causes include flame burns arising from motor vehicle crashes, scalds as a result of steam or hot water from the radiator and unsafe use of matches. Car seat burns have been reported in infants especially when the car has been parked in direct sunlight, as a result of contact with the hot vinyl upholstery or metal components. More recently, increased incidence of car seat burns from heated car seats was reported. We describe the circumstances leading to a 62-year-old lady who presented with burns to the perianal region. She was a back seat passenger who after a few minutes of travel felt a sudden sharp pain in her buttock. On examination, she was found to have two patches of full thickness burns on either sides of the perianal region. On closer questioning, it was evident that the cause of these burns was an electric short circuit from the battery situated under the back seat. Burns may result from a variety of causes and are associated with varying degrees of morbidity and mortality. Burns resulting from road traffic crashes form the majority of car related burns and are associated with intermediate risk of mortality. Burns associated with car batteries are usually as a result of the leakage of acid resulting in chemical burns or as a result of electrical burn due to a short circuit between electrical components and metal jewellery. The location of the battery varies according to the manufacturer. In this case the burn occurred due to the battery positioned under the rear passenger seat. This case illustrates that this location is potentially unsafe and suggests a need for design modification by the manufacturers. Language: en