Corrosive burns

Description:

Corrosive burn - the damage of body tissues caused by effect of some chemicals (alkalis, acids, salts of heavy metals, etc.).

Symptoms of Corrosive burns:

    * Burns of the I degree are characterized by a hyperemia and moderate hypostasis,
    * Burns of the II degree - death of an epithelial cover of skin and upper layers of a derma,
    * Burns of the III degree - necrosis of all thickness of skin,
    * Burns of the IV degree - death of skin and glubzhelezhashchy fabrics (a fascia, muscles, bones).

Reasons of Corrosive burns:

Corrosive burns result from influence of acids, alkalis and aggressive substances. Interaction of chemical with protoplasm of cells of fabrics is characteristic of them. At effect of acids there is a dehydration of fabrics which is followed by calorification and overheating of fabrics that leads to coagulation of proteins and formation of a dense dry scab.

Treatment of Corrosive burns:

First aid at corrosive burns provides perhaps early cancellation of chemical and decrease in its concentration. For this purpose it is necessary to begin as soon as possible washing of the struck surface with flowing water and to carry out it within 10-15 min. and more in those cases if help is given with delay. An exception are corrosive burns at which the contact of aggressive substance with water is contraindicated owing to emergence of exothermic reaction. Aluminum and its organic compounds (dietilalyuminiygidrit, triethylaluminum, etc.) at connection with water ignite.

At hit of water in concentrated sulphuric acid and not extinguished lime there is a reaction to calorification that can lead to additional thermal damage. After washing by water it is necessary to neutralize the remains of chemicals as some part of these substances gets into depth of fabrics even at jet irrigation by their water.

Further general and topical treatment of corrosive burns essentially does not differ from treatment of thermal burns, but at the same time it is necessary to consider their toxic influence on internals. So, for example, phosphorus and its connections, picric acid have nephrotoxic properties, tannin acid causes damage of a liver.