Liquids heated in a microwave can easily burn, scald, says UCI Health expert
Popular film sparks a popular, dangerous trend
IN THE NEWS: The popular Netflix film “KPop Demon Hunters,” focuses on a K-pop girl group who all live double lives. Their magic elixir is a hot cup of ramen noodles, which they slurp.
The film’s popularity has inspired a social media trend in which the noodles are consumed in a similar way, leaving young people at risk for scalds and burns.
Dr. Syed F. Saquib, medical director of the UCI Health Regional Burn Center, spoke with KNX News about how easily people can burn themselves when drinking hot soups, noodles or beverages.
“It takes about 140 degrees and three seconds of exposure to get a second-degree burn as an adult. Hot ramen noodle soup is boiling at 212 degrees.”
He shared how to treat burns caused by hot liquids or noodles.
“These burns can scar. And a second-degree burn can turn into a third-degree burn. Treat a burn by running it under cool water for at least 20 minutes.”
Saquib is an associate professor of surgery at the UC Irvine School of Medicine.
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UCI Health, one of California’s largest academic health systems, is the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. The 1,317-bed system comprises its main campus UCI Medical Center, its flagship hospital in Orange, Calif., the UCI Health — Irvine medical campus, four hospitals and affiliated physicians of the UCI Health Community Network in Orange and Los Angeles counties and a network of ambulatory care centers across the region. UCI Medical Center provides tertiary and quaternary care and is home to the only Orange County-based National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program and American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, gold level 1 geriatric emergency department and regional burn center. Powered by UC Irvine, UCI Health serves 5.6 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).