The “Ice and Salt Game” is spreading across U.S. through YouTube and other social networking sites. To play the game, kids press salt and ice against on their skin for as long as they can stand the pain caused by a frostbite-like reaction that causes skin to burn.
A 12-year-old boy from Pittsburgh, Penn. sustained second-degree burns on his back after playing this dangerous game with his brother and friends.
“The injury is similar to frostbite that can result in mild cold injury, but it also could increase in severity based on the time the ice is applied,” Dr. Aballay said. “The longer it goes, the more serious the injury. This patient went for a few minutes, but there have been cases that went for six or seven minutes that resulted in third-degree cold injuries.
The unnamed victim will need couple of months to recover from the burn on his back and his family released a statement to warn other kids about the dangers of this game.
“We want teenagers and the general public to know that the ‘salt and ice challenge’ is extremely dangerous. Videos on You Tube, Facebook and other social media do not accurately show the terrible injuries that can result. We are grateful that our son is recovering and hope that sharing his story will stop other young people from attempting this stunt.”
