What is the most common source of a contact burn?

• A. Cigarette
• B. Matches
• C. Hair straightener
• D. Electrical outlet

Answer: (A)

Contact burns happen when a hot object touches the skin and transfers heat quickly. A cigarette is the most common source because its hot ember is readily in contact with skin during regular use and can cause a localized burn with a brief touch. The duration of contact with a cigarette ember is often enough to produce a painful, shallow injury, and cigarettes are more commonly encountered in daily life than hot hair straighteners or matches. Electrical outlets involve electrical injury rather than simple hot-object contact, and matches rely on flame contact rather than a sustained hot surface. So the cigarette stands out as the typical source of a contact burn.