BOSSES at the ambulance service that covers Worcester are warning patients who take oxygen through a mask or a plastic tube about the dangers of smoking while wearing them.
West Midlands Ambulance Service director of clinical performance Dr Matthew Wyse said: "Many patients find that having a supply of oxygen can make a huge difference to their condition. But it is absolutely vital that they do not smoke while taking oxygen. The combination of oxygen and a flame can have very serious consequences."
The warning comes after crews were called to a Wolverhampton home where a 48-year-old woman wearing a nasal cannula singed her hair and suffered burns to her face, nose and hand when the tube melted onto her face.
Dr Wyse said: "We have had cases where people have ended up requiring reconstructive surgery due to the level of burns they have suffered."
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