Penetrating Missile Injury by Sudden Oxygen Release From Compressed Oxygen Cylinder: A Case Report

This is an interesting case report to show how devastating and fatal could be the pressure effect of oxygen gas. A 25 years man, a lorry driver was loading a large completely filled oxygen cylinder to his lorry along with two other at an oxygen cylinder production factory. He was rolling the cylinder keeping it slant with the pressure valve facing to his abdomen. All off a sudden the pressure valve came off and the compressed oxygen within the cylinder burst out through the outlet and hit his abdomen directly. He flew 20 feet far and died at the spot. An autopsy was conducted which revealed extensive fatal abdominal injury along with fracture of T11, T12 & L1 vertebrae. Death due to oxygen cylinder is a rare but dangerous entity and in this paper we have discussed on various injuries associated with it. We have also highlighted on the various groups of people who could be in danger and safety measures to be taken to prevent them.