Childhood Burn Injuries Related to Gasoline Can Home Storage

To examine the risks associated with home storage of gasoline and to outline prevention strategies to avoid further injury and death. Case series. Twenty-five patients less than 6 years old were selected for study (3 by presentation to a tertiary care Children's Hospital Emergency Department, and 22 from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System Data during the same calendar year). Data collected included child's age; burn injury, either percent body surface area or minor, moderate, or major burn classification; mortality; circumstances related to ignition of gasoline, such as behaviors, and if can was opened or closed; and flame source. Boys were involved in 95% of cases. Mean age was 2.7 years. The source of ignition was a pilot light in 100% of cases. Forty-four percent of patients died. Only vapors were ignited in 56% of cases. The gasoline can was described as closed in 64% of cases. Gasoline is dangerous. The rectangular red metal gasoline can is not safe either. National building codes and can specifications are needed to prevent serious injury and deaths among young children.