Thermal Burns from a Lithium-ion Battery Electric Scooter Explosion: A Case Report

Abstract

Lithium-ion batteries are being increasingly implemented across a broad range of electrical devices due to their greater energy capacity and longer life-span than other battery alternatives. However, safety concerns have emerged due to their greater propensity to ignite or explode through a process named thermal runway effect. Consequently, there have been several case reports of burns injuries from lithium-ion batteries across the literature, most commonly associated with electronic cigarettes and mobile phones. Whilst there is documentation of explosions from lithium-ion batteries in electronic scooters, case reports of burns from this larger electric device are limited. This report presents one of the first cases of a significant burn injury requiring surgery following the explosion of a lithium-ion battery in an electric scooter. We describe the mechanism of injury from the electronic scooter battery explosion and outline our management strategy for burns of this mechanism. This report highlights the increasing risk of burn injury from lithium-ion batteries in scooters and describes the pitfalls of existing safety mechanisms that contribute to the risk of burns from these batteries. We also provide a brief literature review of existing case reports of lithium-ion battery burns to compare the mechanism of injury and treatment regimen utilised by different centres to treat lithium-ion battery related burns injuries.