Beware the hot water bottle …

Beware the hot water bottle …

Every winter I see patients who experience deep burns from their hot water bottles. The devices are wrapped but often placed directly over areas of skin. The dissipation of heat into tissue is slow and insidious. The contact time is many minutes or even hours. Those at greatest risk of injury are individuals who have neuropathy or altered sensory perception. In the past 3 weeks I have seen deep partial thickness burns on the neck, back of the head, lower back, abdomen and thighs. Warming a bed up with a hot water bottle is fine but don’t go to sleep with one against your skin.