PITTSBURGH - A 12-year-old boy was severely burned after attempting the dangerous "salt and ice challenge" popularized on YouTube.
The Pittsburgh boy suffered second-degree burns when, on a dare, companions put salt topped by ice on his back. The combination causes a chemical reaction that can begin burning the skin almost immediately. The patient was treated at the West Penn Hospital Burn Center outpatient facility this week and will spend the next several months recovering.
Millions have viewed videos of the salt and ice challenge on YouTube and other internet sites, and cases of burn injuries associated with the activity have been reported around the country.