Morriston burns surgeons in e-cigarettes injuries warning

Burns surgeons have warned of the potential dangers of e-cigarettes after treating patients who were badly injured when the devices exploded in their pockets.

Doctors at the Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery in Swansea have treated five men for serious burns this year.

It is the first time they have seen such injuries from e-cigarettes.

Trading standards officers have urged people not to buy cheap products.

They said the explosions were probably caused by the e-cigarettes' lithium batteries overheating because of unsafe chargers.

Dai Nguyen, burns consultant and plastic surgeon at the burns centre, told BBC Wales' X-Ray programme: "I think the concern is that we haven't seen these cases before so it's all occurred this year.

"It is a worry and we were quite surprised really when we saw patients coming in with these sorts of injuries."

She said the issue was beginning to be highlighted nationwide.

"I think we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg. I suspect a lot of A&E departments may also be dealing with these incidents and we're just not aware of them."

Of the five men treated at the burns centre, which is based at Morriston Hospital, three had their devices in their trouser pockets when they exploded, causing serious burns to their thighs.

Adam Moseley, 31, from Maesteg in Bridgend county, was one of those treated after an e-cigarette battery that he was carrying in his pocket went off suddenly "like a firework" while he was at work on a farm in March.

Adam Moseley: 'The burn was so deep it damaged the muscle on my leg'

"It was hot, very, very hot," he said.

"I just put my hand in my pocket and pulled out the battery. It felt like my leg was still on fire."

His large burn - which was 7ins (18cm) in width and 12ins (30cm) in length across his upper leg - meant he could not work for a month and needed regular hospital treatment.

"The burn was so deep it damaged the muscle on my leg, I couldn't walk, couldn't do nothing," Mr Moseley added.

"You've got to be careful, you've got to be mega, mega careful."

Rhys Harries, of Swansea trading standards department, said the problem seemed to lie with people buying cheaper products which might not have been safety tested, such as chargers.

He added that the batteries can spontaneously explode when they have been unplugged.

"If the battery is knocked quite heavily, discard them," he said.

"And if you're charging them don't leave them unattended."

• X-Ray is on Monday 10 October at 19:30 BST on BBC One Wales