Austin injured after e-cigarette explodes: “didn’t know vape could do such thing”
A young American was injured when the electronic cigarette exploded in his mouth. Austin Adams (17), among others, suffered a shattered jaw and burns. “I had no idea a Vager could do such a thing,” said the attending trauma surgeon.
Austin from the state of Nevada wanted to get rid of his smoking addiction and had his mind set on an electronic cigarette. He asked his mother to buy one for him. Mama Kailani Burton gave her son the e-cigarette as a gift to relieve him of his smoking problem. However, it went completely wrong.
“Austin Adams came to me with his hand to his mouth,” Kailani told NBC News. He was in shock and unable to talk. Mother and son immediately left from their rural hometown Ely to the nearest hospital. That turned out to be the hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, a drive of more than two hours.
The emergency doctors had to surgically remove some teeth immediately. The root canals were too badly damaged. They also placed a prosthetic to stabilize his shattered jawbone.
The incident dates back to March last year but is now receiving plenty of attention in the American media. In the news, the immediate cause is what the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is concerned about similar incidents where the battery exploded or overheated.
Austin Adams’ injuries are also described in the leading medical journal ‘New England Journal’ of Medicine. The two doctors who treated the adolescent point to the severity of the injuries in their publication. “Before I met this patient, I had no idea a vape could do such a thing. To break a jaw, you need a lot of strength,” says trauma surgeon Katie Russell.
“The explosion was totally unexpected. He doesn’t remember doing anything wrong with the device in advance. It just exploded.”
Dr. Jonathan Skirko, who specializes in facial traumas caused by dog bites or a horse kick, had never seen anything like it. “I don’t think I’d seen such injuries from an e-cigarette,” he told NBC News.
