Abstract
Prepackaged soups are a frequent cause of burn injury. We hypothesize that package design increases the risk for burn injury by affecting container stability. All pediatric scald burns caused by soup, between June 1997 and August 2004, were reviewed for burn and patient characteristics. Instant or "ready-to-eat" soups also were purchased. Safety statements and recommendations as to use of the microwave oven were documented. The height and the areas of the base and top were compared to the angle that a container would tip over on to its side. During the study period, 99 admissions and 80 outpatients were treated for burns caused by soup. Although the burn size was small (mean 5% TBSA) 22 patients required grafting. Of 13 different soups, 11 required the addition of hot water, and 2 were prepackaged for eating out of the container. Twelve containers had round bases and were tall and narrow, with one being shorter and rectangular. The measurements that correlated with the ease of tipping over were the base area, top area, and the ratio of height/base area. The most significant contributor to the ease of tipping over was height. Instant soups are packaged in containers that tend to be tall with a narrow base that predisposes them to being knocked over and spilled. Simple redesigning of instant soup packaging with a wider base and shorter height, along with the requirement for warnings about the risks of burns would reduce the frequency of soup burns.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 476-481 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Journal of Burn Care and Research |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jul 2006 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Emergency Medicine
- Rehabilitation
- Surgery
Cite this
Instant cup of soup : Design flaws increase risk of burns. / Greenhalgh, David G; Bridges, Peggy; Coombs, Elena; Chapyak, Debbie; Doyle, William; O'Mara, Michael S.; Palmieri, Tina L.
In: Journal of Burn Care and Research, Vol. 27, No. 4, 07.2006, p. 476-481.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Instant cup of soup
T2 - Design flaws increase risk of burns
AU - Greenhalgh, David G
AU - Bridges, Peggy
AU - Coombs, Elena
AU - Chapyak, Debbie
AU - Doyle, William
AU - O'Mara, Michael S.
AU - Palmieri, Tina L
PY - 2006/7
Y1 - 2006/7
N2 - Prepackaged soups are a frequent cause of burn injury. We hypothesize that package design increases the risk for burn injury by affecting container stability. All pediatric scald burns caused by soup, between June 1997 and August 2004, were reviewed for burn and patient characteristics. Instant or "ready-to-eat" soups also were purchased. Safety statements and recommendations as to use of the microwave oven were documented. The height and the areas of the base and top were compared to the angle that a container would tip over on to its side. During the study period, 99 admissions and 80 outpatients were treated for burns caused by soup. Although the burn size was small (mean 5% TBSA) 22 patients required grafting. Of 13 different soups, 11 required the addition of hot water, and 2 were prepackaged for eating out of the container. Twelve containers had round bases and were tall and narrow, with one being shorter and rectangular. The measurements that correlated with the ease of tipping over were the base area, top area, and the ratio of height/base area. The most significant contributor to the ease of tipping over was height. Instant soups are packaged in containers that tend to be tall with a narrow base that predisposes them to being knocked over and spilled. Simple redesigning of instant soup packaging with a wider base and shorter height, along with the requirement for warnings about the risks of burns would reduce the frequency of soup burns.
AB - Prepackaged soups are a frequent cause of burn injury. We hypothesize that package design increases the risk for burn injury by affecting container stability. All pediatric scald burns caused by soup, between June 1997 and August 2004, were reviewed for burn and patient characteristics. Instant or "ready-to-eat" soups also were purchased. Safety statements and recommendations as to use of the microwave oven were documented. The height and the areas of the base and top were compared to the angle that a container would tip over on to its side. During the study period, 99 admissions and 80 outpatients were treated for burns caused by soup. Although the burn size was small (mean 5% TBSA) 22 patients required grafting. Of 13 different soups, 11 required the addition of hot water, and 2 were prepackaged for eating out of the container. Twelve containers had round bases and were tall and narrow, with one being shorter and rectangular. The measurements that correlated with the ease of tipping over were the base area, top area, and the ratio of height/base area. The most significant contributor to the ease of tipping over was height. Instant soups are packaged in containers that tend to be tall with a narrow base that predisposes them to being knocked over and spilled. Simple redesigning of instant soup packaging with a wider base and shorter height, along with the requirement for warnings about the risks of burns would reduce the frequency of soup burns.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33749438741&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33749438741&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/01.BCR.0000226021.78139.49
DO - 10.1097/01.BCR.0000226021.78139.49
M3 - Article
C2 - 16819351
AN - SCOPUS:33749438741
VL - 27
SP - 476
EP - 481
JO - Journal of Burn Care and Research
JF - Journal of Burn Care and Research
SN - 1559-047X
IS - 4
ER -