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Objective To understand risk and possible mechanisms of thermal injury to the tongue during suspension laryngoscopy. Study Design and Setting Tongue injury was noted following suspension laryngoscopy in a cluster of cases; the findings raised suspicion for thermal injury. To characterize the potential for thermal injury, a lighted laryngoscope was placed in contact with samples of tongue. Tissue heating was recorded over time at fixed distances from the light carrier within a laryngoscope. Comparisons were made between two light sources and carriers. Results Maximal tissue heating using a newer-model light source and new carrier was 16.7°F immediately beneath the light carrier tip and 19.8°F at 1 cm distal to the carrier tip. Other combinations of an older source and carriers failed to raise temperatures. Heating up to 10.7°F occurred with the new source and an older carrier. Conclusion and Significance Tissue heating may occur from contact with operative laryngoscopes. This is an important patient safety issue in laryngology.

Epilepsy and other neurological disorders can have profound social, physical and psychological consequences, especially when they begin in childhood. Moreover, seizure episodes may cause fractures, burns, head injuries and oral injuries. This report presents a case history of an adolescent with a severe tongue injury related to epileptic seizures and outlines the proposed treat-ment, which included use of a maxillary silicone bite guard that allowed healing of the tongue injury within a few months.