Dana* (38) was treating herself and her children for lice. While waiting for the topical treatment to take effect, she lit a cigarette; the treatment on her skin caught fire, burning the upper parts of her body. Thankfully, her quick-thinking and resourceful 12-year-old son saved her life.
Professor Assaf Zeltzer with the Green-Wagner Emergency Room at Rambam in the background. Photography: Rambam HCC.
Lice infestation is common in kindergarten and schoolchildren. So Dana was not surprised when she saw her young children scratching their heads – a telltale sign of lice. She began treating the problem with well-known over-the-counter anti-lice products. “They are effective for a while, but the lice return,” she says. “I regularly change brands, and two weeks ago, I bought a different brand and applied it according to the instructions.” After applying the product, she wiped her hands with a damp cloth. “I wanted a cigarette,” she recalls. Dana lit the cigarette, and then something unexpected happened. “The spark from my cigarette lighter ignited the product, and within seconds, my hair and hands were on fire.”
Dana was in pain and feared for her life. “I realized I had to act quickly; otherwise, I might die. I was scared. My head, hands, clothes, everything was on fire,” she adds. “I ran to the faucet; my son filled a pot with water and poured it over my head. Thanks to his quick thinking, he extinguished the fire. He is a hero, and he saved my life.”
After that, her resourceful son called a family friend who immediately contacted Magen David Adom – Israel’s emergency response unit, and Dana was evacuated to Rambam Health Care Campus (Rambam) in Haifa, Israel. En-route, the medics administered painkillers that offered some relief.
Dana was hospitalized for two weeks in Rambam’s Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Professor Assaf Zeltzer, director of the department elaborates, “The patient came to us with second-degree burns on her hands, scalp, face, and nape of her neck. It could have been worse. Luckily, she didn’t require surgery. We applied specialized burn dressings, so skin grafts weren’t necessary. Thanks to her immediate response and her son’s quick thinking, the flames were extinguished. Washing the burn wounds with water prevented their spread.”
Dana, now recovering at home, says, “It’s hard to believe that such a simple treatment ended this way. I want to warn the public—do not go near a flame before washing these products out of your hair—they are flammable. A miracle happened, and I survived.”
Professor Zeltzer recommends that before treating lice, one should read the package insert, check if the product is flammable, and follow the precise instructions. “In this kind of emergency, pour plenty of cold water on the burn site and immediately head to the emergency room.”
* Name changed to protect her identity
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