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What is a Margarita burn? ‘The Pitt' Season 2 sees doctors scramble to get to the root of the issue

Ogilvie and Javadi are baffled as a Margarita burn victim enters the ER at PTMC

'The Pitt' Season 2 Episode 8 recently released on HBO Max, and chaos continues to reign in the emergency room at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. As the previously aired seventh episode hinted, the ER is disrupted by a cyberattack that forces the attending doctors, nurses, and medical students to forgo all electronic equipment. The forced return to non-digital systems is as daunting as one might expect, especially for a hospital that is mostly run by resident doctors and medical students. Interestingly, a patient showed up with frightening skin blisters and burns, and diagnosing him proved to be way more difficult than initially expected.

Upon arriving at the ER, the patient complained of inflamed leathery skin and large water blisters all over his body. He mentioned that the condition started about a day earlier, and it happened all at once. Ogilvie and Javadi were baffled by the victim's condition. Their initial diagnosis ranged from bullous pemphigoid, which is a rare autoimmune disorder targeting the elderly, to autoimmune severe pruritus, which is a skin disorder prompted by an autoimmune response. They even considered pemphigus vulgaris, which is a potentially fatal condition that typically originates in the mouth. The student doctors scrambled to get to the root of the ailment, looking for the Nikolsky sign and pustules in the mucous membranes. However, Joy was the one who ultimately diagnosed him with phytophotodermatitis, otherwise known as a margarita burn.

The Cleveland Clinic defines a margarita burn as "a form of 'extreme' sunburn, which happens because of one of the components of citrus fruits called furocoumarins. These organic chemical compounds can increase the skin’s sensitivity to UV rays, most often in folks with more pale skin tones, as the plant matter (phyto) and light rays (photo) cause a chemical reaction that leads to skin irritation (dermatitis)." It is soon revealed that the patient was making three gallons of margaritas for a party and was squeezing fresh limes while standing under the sun. Javadi summed it up when she remarked that the combination of lime juice and sunlight can cause a severe rash. Although margarita burns don't usually need medical attention, they should be kept clean and pressed with a cold cloth to alleviate the pain.

Elsewhere, the episode titled '2:00 PM' continued charge Nurse Dana's exasperation as she learned that the previously collected sexual harassment evidence sample wasn't picked up. On the other hand, Princess reeled under the pressure of acting as the temporary charge nurse in Dana's absence. Dr. Langdon and Santos's interactions kept pushing the envelope as the former tried to establish his authority, while Santos remained cold and hostile. 'The Pitt' season 2 airs new episodes every Thursday on HBO Max.