Citation

Orozco E, Birnbrich A, Liberman SR. Cureus 2021; 13(9): e18129.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Curēus)

DOI

10.7759/cureus.18129

PMID

34589369

PMCID

PMC8460553

Abstract

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a compound with numerous uses, especially in cases which require prevention of cellular damage. To the authors' knowledge, no reports of NAC as treatment for liquid nitrogen (LN2) injuries currently exist. We present a case in which a 40-year-old woman accidentally submerged her hands in LN2 while working in a lab. The patient was treated with NAC, antibiotics, and wound care. Six months post-injury, the patient had full range of motion, full sensation, full function, and no pain. Therefore, NAC, in combination with dressing changes and antibiotics, can be used to successfully treat patients with LN2 burns.

Language: en

Keywords

hand injuries; burn injury; hand surgery; liquid nitrogen; n-acetylcysteine