What you need to know about electric blankets

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Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria on Thursday opened up about third-degree burns he suffered after using an electric blanket.

The lawmaker, who has been admitted for a couple of days, revealed that the gadget, which he bought through a friend, cost roughly Sh250,000.

“Two weeks ago, a friend of mine convinced me to use a gadget which to my knowledge I thought was authorised. This gadget happened to do some slow-burning of my feet. I was trying to cure a problem by introducing a killer solution. I went home at night and my feet just exploded,” said Kuria.

“I came here the following day and they said I had third-degree burns. They had to do some emergency surgery, then they did a proper surgery and as late as yesterday yet another surgery. Something that was supposed to be a solution has seen me undergo three surgeries.”

Electric Blankets

They are blankets that contain integrated electrical heating wires and are often categorized as; underblankets, overblankets, throws and duvets and have a control unit that adjusts the amount of heat being produced by pulsing at different intervals.

They are often used in countries that experience extreme weather conditions and they are usually in demand during winter as people try to warm themselves through the night.

According to Hallym University Medical Center, using these blankets can cause low-temperature burns which can go as far as damaging both the outer and underlying layers of the skin.

It is reported that a number of patients do not feel any particular pain though they may experience numbness.

Modern-day electric blankets have a number of built-in safety features in the sense that they can pre-warm your bed at a certain time and shut off later but there have been cases of faulty ones that have contributed to short circuits that started fires.

According to a 2007 case study in the American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, electric blankets can cause death by heatstroke since dehydration can occur. If the blanket does not shut off and you do not wake up, your body might fail to cool itself, resulting in heatstroke.

Do not use them if…

You have nerve damage or poor blood circulation because they may affect your ability to detect whether the blanket has become too hot.

Some quarters advice expectant women to also avoid electric blankets since they can raise their body temperature, mimicking a fever.

How to correctly use electric blankets

-Inspect and replace them when they get worn out

-Look for models that automatically go off after a certain period

-Do not fold them as you can damage the coils and wires inside

-Avoid falling asleep while the blanket is on

-Inspect damaged wires

-Buy approved blankets

-Do not tuck the edges under your mattress

-Do not use them together with a heating pad

-Do not dry-clean as the chemicals might damage the insulation for heating wires