Deployed Airbag Causes Bullous Reaction Following a Motor Vehicle Accident

Cutis. 2022 Jun;109(6):336-338. doi: 10.12788/cutis.0532.

Abstract

Airbags can be lifesaving during a motor vehicle accident (MVA), but airbag deployment has been the cause of dermatologic injuries including irritant dermatitis, as well as thermal, friction, and chemical burns. A highly corrosive alkaline aerosol composed of sodium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate, and metallic oxides is released during airbag deployment. We present the case of a 35-year-old man who developed a bullous reaction to released by-products from airbag deployment during an MVA.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Accidents, Traffic
  • Adult
  • Air Bags* / adverse effects
  • Burns, Chemical* / etiology
  • Friction
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Motor Vehicles