Teen warns of gel pack danger

Invercargill teenager Jessica Reid (15) and her mother, Linda, with the  skirt she was wearing...
Invercargill teenager Jessica Reid (15) and her mother, Linda, with the skirt she was wearing when a gel pack similar to the one Mrs Reid is holding burst. Photo by Leeana Tamati.
The screams of pain from her teenage daughter, Jessica, will always stick in Linda Reid's mind.

On a cold morning last July, the Invercargill mother picked up the phone at work to hear Jessica's horrifying screams - the 14-year-old had been covered in scalding-hot gel after a heat pack she microwaved burst.

''There was just so much terror. I can't comprehend how horrific and terrifying it must have been for her,'' Mrs Reid said.

The James Hargest College pupil was home alone when she put the gel pack in the microwave - for less than the allowed time - and sat it on her lap.

Then it burst.

''It literally went everywhere,'' Jessica said.

''It was dripping down my legs. I burnt my hands trying to get it off my skirt.

''After I called the ambulance, I looked down at my legs and I could see my skin falling off. I was in so much pain and I was screaming so much.''

The gel pack was about the size of a dinner plate and had a thick plastic casing.

The accident resulted in a three-day hospital stay for Jessica, who eventually needed skin grafts on the most damaged parts of her legs - her shinbone and the inside of her left thigh.

Jessica, now 15, has almost fully recovered. She continues to play four sports but has to wear silicone bandages on her skin grafts for the next two years.

She is still suffering the mental effects of the accident, and she has a fear of anything hot coming in contact with her body.

''I've only just started using my electric blanket again. I always thought that using the gel pack to keep me warm was the safe way to do it, but after that I don't think anything is going to be safe to use.''

Jessica said she had learnt from the experience and believed it had made her into a better person.

''I realised that I couldn't just walk around being angry all the time, not making the most of things. When I didn't have control over what was happening or what was going to happen, it changed my outlook. I think I am a better person now.''

Jessica said it was only now she felt comfortable talking about her experience and wanted to raise awareness about the dangers of gel packs.

Mrs Reid said she was ''gobsmacked'' most brands only had a small warning sign on their packaging, rather than on the actual packs themselves.

''There are no expiry dates on them. There is nothing on them to say just how severe and devastating an injury can be from one of these packs,'' she said.

''Absolutely everybody needs to know the severity of the burns you can get from these things.''

A spokeswoman from the National Poisons Centre said most gel packs contained sodium acetate, a solution similar to salt. Southland Hospital emergency medicine specialist Martin Watts said while not common, injuries from bursting gel packs happened occasionally.

''I haven't come across it personally, but asking around the doctors, a lot of them have. It doesn't happen very often, but it does happen.''

Dr Watts said burns from a gel pack would be caused by heat rather than chemical burns, and could be so severe because the substance inside the pack did not wash off but stayed on the skin and hardened.

''The fact that it solidifies on your skin makes it burn more than hot water probably would. You can't pull it off straight away and it will continue to burn until it has cooled down enough.''

If anyone was in a similar situation to Jessica, it was essential to cool the burn with cold water immediately and call an ambulance if necessary.

A Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) spokesman said the Trading Standards team had not received any complaints about gel pack hand or body warmers.

''In order to investigate, MBIE asks affected consumers to contact us on 0508 627-774 so we can examine the product for safety. We would then look at how the item was used and whether instructions were followed.

''We encourage people to report any concerns about the safety of a product as soon as possible after an incident occurs.''

Consumers also had the right to a repair, refund, replacement or compensation under the Consumer Guarantees Act.

ACC figures showed there were 17 injury claims involving gel packs last year and payouts of $17,734, excluding GST. In 2012, there were 22 claims, costing $26,513.

However, a spokeswoman said the data was not definitive as ACC relied on information recorded by the claimant at the time of the accident.

 

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