Circumferential Partial-Thickness Burn Caused by Mobile Telephone Charger: A Case Report

Abstract

Many children and adolescents have access to portable electronic devices. Although not always the case, these devices are often charged at nighttime, especially while being used in bed. There are increasing media reports of electric current injury from the portable electronic devices' charging cables, particularly with equipment that is available for lower cost from generic manufacturers. A 19-year-old woman presented to the pediatric emergency department after a burn from her generic iPhone charger. She was lying in bed wearing a chain necklace, with the charger underneath her pillow and plugged into an electrical outlet, when she felt a sudden burning sensation and severe pain around her neck. She was found to have a circumferential partial-thickness burn. She underwent computed tomographic angiogram, whose result was unremarkable. The wound was debrided, and she was then discharged home. She likely sustained an electrical injury from the charger as it came in contact with her necklace, causing a burn. Several companies have investigated the difference in quality and safety of generic versus Apple-brand chargers and have found that the majority of the generic chargers fail basic safety testing, making them a higher risk for electrical injury. As a result of this case, patients and families should be educated about safe use of these devices, especially while they are charging. [

iPhone charger‐induced chemical burn from overnight contact with sweat: Two cases

“…Despite the high coverage rate of smartphones worldwide, there are few prior reports of a skin injury caused by a smartphone, and most of these injuries were caused by a lithium battery 6 . Three reports about a charger‐related skin injury have been published 2–4 . One report concerns a 19‐year‐old female who sustained an electrical injury from the charger as it came in contact with her necklace.…”

“…This case was not caused by the direct contact of the charger with the patient’s skin. The patient used a non‐Apple brand iPhone charger 2 . Another report concerns a 17‐year‐old female who suffered a full‐thickness burn following prolonged contact with a phone charger; the phone brand and the mechanism of the burn are not discussed in that report 3 .…”

“…According to the manufacturer of iPhones (Apple, Cupertino, CA, USA), more than 200 million iPhones had been sold worldwide by 2017. Although smartphone use is prevalent worldwide, there are only three reports of smartphone charger‐induced skin damage 2–4 . The shape of the smartphone charger differs among the devices.…”