How to avoid propane gas barbeque grill burns and explosions

Dear doctor,

Sunday evening my Dad was going to barbeque dinner. There was a leak in the propane tank and there was a flash when he lit the barbeque that burned his arms, hands, legs, and face. His hair caught on fire, most of his beard and hair is now gone. Eyelashes and eyebrows are gone as well.

He was immediately taken to the ER where they gave him morphine for the pain. This made him vomit and his blood pressure dropped to 58/27.

They intubated him as a precautionary measure and his blood pressure was stabilized. They then moved him to a burn unit in a hospital in SF. After examining him that night, they said that most of his burns are 1st and 2nd degree. They extubated him late Monday morning and lifted his diet restrictions. Their main concern is infection at this point and his left leg. This area saw the worst damage and they are observing him for 2-3 days to see if he will need surgery.

I read your information on 2nd degree burns and feel that it was extremely well written and understandable for the lay person. Thank you so much for that.

The history with my Dad is that he had a staph infection 4 years ago and endocarditis. He had 50% damage to his heart at that time due to a previous heart attack and the damage from the infection. He had a quadruple bypass 10 years ago and as of the last appointment a month ago the bypasses (sp) are holding.

They did say that he is in the beginning stages of liver failure last month as well as congestive heart failure. He is 62 years old. His blood pressure has been holding steady after that initial drop and he said that he isn't in any pain right now.

He is an 8 hour drive away from me right now and they tell me that he is stable, but I can't help but feel that any surgery on him at this point would be very rough on him. Today is the second day of observation and I am planning on heading down to be with him either later today or tomorrow.

My question is, are my concerns warranted? I feel silly because they say he is stable and to not come, but my gut tells me otherwise. I'm sure by the time you read this I will already be there, I guess I just wanted some reassurance. I am worried that his previous health issues will make this current trauma worse.

Sorry to take up your time, I just found a lot of comfort in your posts and hoped you might have a thought or two.
Sincerely,
Lori

Dear Ms. Lori,


Thank you very much for you question. I am sorry to hear that your father had a burn accident. We are sorry for the delay in replying because we have a lot of queries waiting. The loss of hair is not significant since one can have the hair burnt and lost from the heat though the skin may not be burnt.

Some patients react to morphine by vomiting and lowering of the blood pressure this usually gets controlled once corrective measures or medication are given. That he was intubated appears more of a prophylactic measure since they extubated him within 24 hours and he appears to be stable. Also the fact that the BBQ must likely have been in an open space means that inhalation injury to the lungs are unlikely.

Most of his burns were 1st and 2nd degree burns- as you said- 1st degree burns- should not be of any worry- it’s like sunburn and will heal quickly.

For the 2nd degree burn areas it will depends on whether they are superficial or deep. From what you describe and by the history I feel it may be a 2nd degree superficial burn which will heal, but we can’t be sure till we examine the burn itself.

In view of his medical illnesses and cardiac problems prophylactic antibiotic coverage should be discussed with his treating surgeon and may be a good idea.

A physician should also be involved to manage his medical problems. Finally the area of the deep burn if present may be small as I presume from your description.

Good timely analgesics should be helpful along with local dressings and care of the wound.

An ophthalmologist should also check his eyes to rule out any burn injury to the eye which is quite common in patients with face burns.

I hope he recovers quickly and that he may not need any surgery by God’s grace.

With best regards,
asktheburnsurgeon+


Dear doctor,
Thank you so much for your response. You are correct that the BBQ was in an open area. An update on my Dad.

The enzyme cream that they used to eat away at the dead tissue is working really well. They do not believe that surgery will be necessary for now. He is continuing with the debridement (sp) baths every day for now, which have become very painful for him, but they are working.

There has even been talk about discharge this weekend. We are so grateful that he is progressing so well. Seeing the other patients in the burn unit made me realize how lucky he was.
Thank you again for your response. Of course you can put this up on your website. The posts on there helped me at a time when I had no idea which way this would go. If our story can help someone else, please use it.

Thank you again.
Lori

Dear Ms Lori
Thank you very much for the reply and it is nice to know that dad is recovering. Burns can be very painful physically and psychologically depressing. Yet the support that friends and family can provide will help the patient overcome his burns and it is nice to know that your dad has a wonderful daughter like you to take care of him. Following the tips below may help to prevent burns in other propane barbecue grill users.

How to avoid propane barbeque grill burns
- from asktheburnsurgeon

Propane is highly inflammable gas which is commonly used as fuel for stoves, barbeques and others. LPG or liquefied petroleum gas is a mixture of propane and butane and is used commonly as cooking gas or vehicle fuel. Use of propane gas barbeque grills can result in burn or explosion injuries. Following simple safety precautions will help to avoid serious accidents.

1. Buy your gas tanks only from approved dealers who believe in high safety standards.

2. Make sure that all the valves and hoses are safe and undamaged and check them regularly.

3) Use propane tanks that have the ‘Overfill prevention device’ which will help to avoid leaks and accidents.

4) Using leak proof devices that detect leaks and shut off the gas supply can make BBQ grills extremely safe.

5) Keep the tanks upright and while transporting the tank secure it safely so that it doesn’t move or roll around and get damaged.

6) Use the barbeques with a minimum clearance at least 10 feet from any building- avoid rooftops, terraces or even balconies.

7) Barbequing within a closed space or home can result in carbon monoxide poisoning.

8) Avoid storing spare propane gas tanks indoors or near a store or grill.

9) Prevent children from being near the barbeque tanks and grill.

10) Make sure the regulator of your barbeque grill is not faulty lest the flame will be inadequate or an explosion can result with too much compressed gas.

11) Check the spark ignition regularly to see if it is generating a spark, if not the gas may be released without being ignited and can result in a fire or explosion.

12) Turn off the propane tank after use to avoid leak and accidents.

13) Water should be readily available nearby in case of a fire while using the grill.

Grill time now folks- and safe grilling.
Asktheburnsurgeon+

24 tips from asktheburnsurgeon on-How to avoid road accidents and burns

Every year, thousands of people die from road accidents and burns. The sad fact is that most of these accidents can be avoided. Asktheburnsurgeon presents 24 tips on how to avoid road accidents and burns.

1. Drive only when you are well trained, confident and have a valid driving license.

2. Do not drive under the influence of alcohol, drugs or medication that will affect your driving. You are putting you life and the valuable lives of others at risk.

3. While driving avoid eating, drinking, smoking or using a cell phone.

4. Do not let children or passengers distract you while driving.

5. Drive carefully and follow the traffic rules.

6. Avoid over speeding- you tend to loose control and may cause an accident while over speeding. Reduce your speed especially during adverse weather conditions like sleet, snow, rain and ice. Drive carefully if the road is under repair.

7. Stick to your lane while driving, change lanes only when you want to take a new road.

8. Forget the ‘me first’ attitude and let others cross if needed.

9. Drive to reach your destination and not to race other cars – ‘racing is for race courses’.

10. Before changing lanes look in the side and rear mirrors. Don’t forget the ‘blind spot’ if your car has one, so turn your head and look if any cars are approaching.

11. Avoid being close to large sized vehicles like trailer vans and tractor- trailer rigs. The drivers of these vehicles have a poor vision due to the immense size of the vehicle and can cause serious accidents if you are nearby.

12. Honk when you are in danger or see a dangerous situation developing so that other drivers are also aware of it.

13. Do not carry inflammables in your car like petrol, turpentine or other chemicals which can convert your car into a potential bomb.

14. Never take your eyes off the road while driving –except when you have parked or stopped your vehicle.

15. Keep a ‘first aid’ kit in your car. Having a burnshield or other dressing, fire extinguisher, a large can of water, and a cell phone to call when in trouble can be of great help if you have an accident.

16. Be careful in parking lots- there is always someone crossing or coming out unexpectedly and that could be dangerous.

17 Never drive without your seatbelts on. Seatbelts prevent you from being thrown around or outside your vehicle and injuring yourself in case of an accident.

18. While driving at high permissible speeds, keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front. If the car behind is too close, put your hazard lights on to signal him about the ‘clear and imminent danger’.

19. Car radiator burns are common in hot summers. If you have to tinker with your hot radiator- be careful as you open the lid the hot water can splash and cause severe burns- wait till it cools down or get a car mechanic to repair your car.

20. Long drives can be boring and the monotony may put you to sleep. Have a driving partner who will replace you and prevent you from sleeping.

21. While driving, avoid being a navigator and checking maps and locations- doing both can lead to accidents.

22. Service your vehicle regularly; also see that the tires, breaks and windshield wipers are in good condition. Having a ‘flat tire’ or a ‘burst tire’ while driving can lead to serious accidents. Faulty breaks and non functional wipers can be disastrous.

23. Be careful at traffic signals- there is always someone passing through the yellow light or crossing the red light which could lead to a major accident. So watch out even if you have the green light.

24.                            Before you start driving

                                 Pray that you reach safely

                                After you reach your destination

                                Thank God for being merciful

Drive safely and avoid accidents and burns.

Asktheburnsurgeon +