• Shenbana Bagirathan, Krishna Rao, Sammy Al-Benna, and Ciaran P O'Boyle.
• Department of Burns & Plastic Surgery, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, City Hospitals Campus, UK. Electronic address: shenbana.bagirathan@nhs.net.
• Burns. 2016 Mar 1; 42 (2): e9-e12.

IntroductionMicrowave ovens allow for quick and simple cooking. However, the importance of adequate food preparation, prior to microwave cooking, and the consequences of inadequate preparation are not well-known.MethodThe authors conducted a retrospective outcome analysis of all patients who sustained facial burns from microwaved foods and were treated at a UK regional burns unit over a six-year period. Patients were identified from clinical records.ResultsEight patients presented following inadequate preparation of either tinned potatoes (n=4) or eggs (n=4). All patients sustained <2% total body surface area facial burns. Mean age was 41 years (range 21-68 years). Six cases (75%) had associated ocular injury. One received amniotic membrane grafts; this individual's vision remains poor twelve months after injury.DiscussionRapid dielectric heating of water within foods may produce high steam and vapour pressure gradients and cause explosive decompression [1,5,11]. Consumers may fail to recognise differential heating and simply cook foods for longer if they remain cool on the outer surface. Education on safe use and risks of microwave-cooked foods may help prevent these potentially serious injuries.ConclusionMicrowave ovens have become ubiquitous. The authors recognise the need for improved public awareness of safe microwave cooking. Burns resulting from microwave-cooked foods may have life-changing consequences.Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

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