Providing first emergency first aid for chemical burns with acid, alkali and other substances. Providing first aid for chemical burns. What solution can be given to the victim in case of chemical burns?

Chemical burns occur under the destructive influence of chemicals that cause deep damage to the skin layers.

First aid for chemicals is aimed at stabilizing the pH level of the dermis, which is achieved by thoroughly washing off chemical particles from the affected part of the body with running water. The tactics of subsequent actions depend on the type of reagent, its quantity, duration of exposure, as well as the stage of damage.

Most often, the skin and eyes are affected by caustic reagents. The respiratory system and gastric tract are affected much less frequently. Burns from chemical reagents can occur both at home and at work. Although the risk of such injury on an industrial scale is much greater.

Classification of dangerous lesions

To understand how to provide first aid for a burn, you need to identify which reagent caused the damage.

They can be triggered by the following chemicals:

Acids;
Evaporating vapors of heavy metals;
Alkalis;
Other reagents that have an active effect.

Symptoms are manifested by external changes on the skin. Depending on the type of chemical, the damage will vary.

Emergency assistance in the event of exposure to aggressive reagents of chemical origin also depends on the degree of their concentration.

Doctors classify 4 stages of damage by chemical reagents:

1st degree. Characteristic features appear in the swelling and redness of damaged skin. Under the influence of an acidic reagent, dry crusts appear. When burned with alkali, the scab becomes wet, and the crust itself appears after a few hours. Sensitivity is preserved, and complete tissue regeneration occurs 6-7 days after the burn.
2nd degree. Damage reaches the deep layers of the skin, resulting in superficial necrosis (death). If the burn is thermochemical, then blisters appear on the damaged areas. Pathological changes in the skin to this extent are most often irreversible.
3rd degree. The death of all layers of the damaged skin area. The tissues become deformed and wrinkled. Forms around the damage severe swelling. The blisters that appear are filled with cloudy or bloody fluid. Sensitivity is impaired: the victim does not feel pain.
4th degree. All tissues are involved in a burn injury: skin layers, muscle fibers, tendons, bones. They all die off.

Note!

Violation of the integrity of the skin continues even after its interaction with the chemical reagent has been eliminated. Therefore, it is not possible to determine the stage of damage immediately after the burn.

During the period of first medical care In case of chemical burns, it is necessary to assess the level of scale of the damaged skin, as well as the depth of the burned tissue. The more dermis exposed to dangerous reagents, the more dangerous it is for the victim.

Specifics of urgent measures

Providing first aid for chemical burns requires following a certain sequence. The success of further therapy depends on the correctness and coordination of the rescuer’s actions.

Emergency assistance includes the following actions:

Remove from the victim’s body all items of clothing that have been in contact with chemical reagents;
Cleanse burned dermis clean water 15-20 minutes (if the chemical has been on the skin for a long time, increase the cleansing time).

Note!

Do not use wet wipes or cloth as a cleaning agent to remove reagents!

If the burn is caused by slaked lime, the remaining substance is washed off with sunflower oil or liquid petroleum jelly. If a person is burned with phenol or creosol, the wound is treated with vodka.

The next stage, which includes first aid for chemical burns, is to ensure the safety of the wound from reagents that have already entered. If an acid burn is recorded, the injured area is cleaned with water and soda dissolved in it or with ordinary soap. After the resulting alkaline burn, you need to apply citric acid. If it is not available, you can use a vinegar solution. If the patient experiences severe pain, first aid includes providing the victim with relief.

After neutralizing the wound, the injured area is covered with clean gauze. These actions are necessary to maximally protect the victim from possible infections.

Note!

The use of cotton wool as a protective bandage is prohibited!

Further actions are carried out in a medical facility by professionals, since burns of this type necessarily require examination and consultation with doctors.

Qualified first aid for chemical burns is necessary in the following cases:

Victim in deep;
The person has trouble breathing;
The natural color of the skin is disturbed;
Chemicals got into the eyes, onto the mucous membranes of the mouth, into the digestive tract, and into the groin area;
Severe pain is not relieved by analgesics;
Significant area of burn damage;
The depth of the wound reaches 6 cm.

Note!

If you know what chemical caused the burn, you must report it. medical workers. If there are chemical residues, they should be submitted to doctors for examination.

Damage to the eyes and esophagus

Despite the fact that the skin is more often burned, damage to the eyes and esophagus by chemical reagents cannot be ruled out.

Damage to the eyes by chemicals is a dangerous injury that can lead to complete blindness. Moreover, with burns, the delicate skin around them is always damaged. Therefore, after providing the necessary assistance to the victim, he must be immediately transported to a medical facility.

How dangerous eye burns from chemicals are is determined by the following factors:

Compound;
Concentration of hazardous substance;
Eye health before burn;
Speed of providing first aid.

The symptoms of eye burns are specific. The patient experiences cutting pain, cannot look at the light, and begins to experience profuse lacrimation.

First aid for burns with acids and alkalis in this case is to immediately cleanse the eyes under running water. Remember that the safety of the victim’s vision will depend on how quickly you eliminate direct contact with chemicals.

After the eyes are thoroughly washed, a clean bandage is placed on them. Remember that cotton wool cannot be used in this case.

If you burn yourself with alkali, you can wash your eyes with milk. There is no need to waste precious time trying to find neutralizing drops. It is better to send the patient to the hospital as quickly as possible, where he can receive qualified medical care.

A burn to the gastrointestinal tract occurs after accidental or intentional ingestion of alkalis or acids. Symptomatic manifestations pronounced damage:

Severe pain in the mouth, pharynx, esophagus and stomach;
When the larynx is burned, a person does not have enough air: he begins to choke;
Vomiting begins, filled with mucus, blood and pieces of burned mucous membrane.

This requires immediate hospitalization. However, before the doctors arrive, the patient’s stomach needs to be cleared. If it is burned with acids, use a soda solution. In case of alkali poisoning, prepare a weak solution using acetic acid.

Note!

The victim should drink a lot of fluids. This is the only way to weaken the effect of chemicals on the body and promote their rapid elimination.

Treatment

After the chemical reagent is eliminated from the body, restoration of the damaged areas of the dermis begins. Systemic therapy medications used to eliminate pain and restore damaged skin layers.

For minor injuries of the 1st degree, under the supervision of a doctor, you can use the following: traditional medicine. These include the use of raw potatoes, cucumber juice, strongly brewed black tea, and potato starch. All of these products have cooling and healing properties for burned skin.

Here are examples of two of the most popular and effective recipes.

Starch mask

Starch must be thoroughly diluted in warm water to form a paste reminiscent of sour cream. The finished mask is placed on the affected area of the skin in a thick layer and kept for 20 minutes. Then wash off with water.

"Black compress"

Brew a few spoons of black tea in any convenient way;
Give it time to cool to room temperature;
When ready, wet clean gauze and apply it to the burned skin.
As soon as the homemade compress heats up under the influence of the body, it needs to be changed.

Chemical burns are damage to the skin using various chemicals. Statistics show that most often burns of this type affect the upper and lower extremities, body and head. Less common are injuries to the respiratory system or digestive tract. First aid for a chemical burn is very important; it should consist of complete regeneration of the pH level of the skin.

Types of damage

You can get such an injury for several reasons; they determine what to do in the future in case of a chemical burn and how exactly the first aid will be provided. may be a consequence of skin interaction with:

salts of heavy metals;
various acids;
alkalis;
all kinds of active chemicals.

To determine what exactly caused the damage, you need to pay attention to it external signs. During acid burns, the damaged area becomes covered with a white crust. After some time it turns brown or black. In case of a chemical burn of the skin with hydrochloric acid, the skin turns yellow; in case of injury with nitrogen, the color of the skin becomes yellow and acquires a brown or greenish tint. The skin's reaction to alkalis is manifested by the formation of a moist or gelatinous crust. If the injured area becomes infected, the skin becomes tight and dry after a few days. During an alkaline burn, fats are saponified and proteins are dissolved. This causes the formation of such a wound.

Providing first aid for chemical burns also depends on the severity of the injury.

There are four main types of gravity
The first degree is an injury, which is accompanied by the formation of swelling and redness of the skin. If the damage occurs as a result of interaction with acids, then the skin becomes covered with thin dried crusts. If the injury is caused by alkalis, then the skin forms after some time, and it is moist. The damaged area does not lose its sensitivity and is completely restored after a week.
In the case of the second degree of severity, the damage is deeper. Symptoms of this type of injury include redness and the formation of thin layers of necrosis. As a result of thermochemical damage, blisters may occur. Often, second degree burns do not recover.
Third degree injury causes multiple layers of skin to die. The skin wrinkles and changes its appearance, and in the area of necrosis that has occurred, the skin swells.
The most severe degree is considered to be the fourth. It is characterized by the death and destruction of all soft tissues (bones, muscles, blood vessels, etc.).

Urgent Care

At home, first aid for chemical burns must be provided in the correct order. If everything is done according to special rules, then further treatment results will be as positive as possible.

The initial first aid actions for a chemical skin burn should be removing clothing and other items from the body that have come into contact with the aggressive substance. Next, you need to rinse the damaged area under cool water for 20 minutes. If the washing was not timely, then its duration should be increased to 35-40 minutes. Under no circumstances try to remove the chemical using napkins or cotton wool, this procedure will cause even more harm.

If the injury occurred as a result of exposure of the skin to a powdered chemical, then first aid for such a chemical burn should consist of removing the substance from the wounded area, because some powdered chemicals. substances react with water and ignite, leading to vaporization or boiling.

Next, you need to secure the remaining chemicals in the wound. If the damage was caused by acids coming into contact with the human skin, the wound is washed with a two percent solution of baking soda or soap and water. In the event that the cause of the injury was the interaction of alkalis with the skin, treatment must be carried out using acetic or citric acid.

When providing first aid and suppressing the reaction of carboxylic acids, you can use fermented milk products or drugs containing glycerin, and chemicals. lime substances - a two percent solution of granulated sugar.

If the victim complains of severe pain, then one of the stages of emergency care should be taking a painkiller.

After first aid is provided for chemical burns, it is necessary to protect the area of the injured skin from all kinds of infections. A gauze bandage is applied to the lesion site (using cotton wool is strictly prohibited). The following actions should be carried out by doctors, whom it is advisable to contact if any injury of this type occurs.

Signs that require emergency medical attention:

the victim faints, breathing becomes impaired and the skin color changes;
aggressive substances enter the eyes, mouth or digestive tract;
the burn area is quite large;
pain does not disappear after taking an anesthetic;
the wounds are deep and their area exceeds 10 cm.

Eye burn

Signs that determine:

fear of light;
excessive secretion of tears;
cutting pain in this area;
redness.

If you do not seek help from specialists in a timely manner, there is a chance of permanently losing your vision.

Providing first aid in this case should be as fast and high-quality as possible. The eyes are rinsed under running water for about twenty minutes; if the damage occurs due to interaction with alkalis, then milk can be used for the rinsing procedure. After this, urgently call an ambulance team, which will take all necessary measures to prevent all possible consequences.

Damage to the digestive tract

The following symptoms characterize:

sharp pain;
burning in the esophagus and stomach;
severe pain in the throat and swelling in the mouth;
vomiting with blood;
Sometimes when vomiting, pieces of the injured mucous membrane come out.

In such cases, a weak vinegar solution is used to eliminate alkali chemicals. For acid burns, wash the stomach using a solution of ordinary soda. In this case, it is almost impossible to help the victim on your own, so immediately seek help from experienced specialists.

First aid for chemical burns consists of a list of the following measures:

Symptoms of the lesion

Chemical burns, according to statistics, in most cases are the result of careless handling of chemicals at work or in everyday life.

The manifestations of chemical burns depend on the nature and dynamics of the body’s interaction with the specific active substance.

Some basic manifestations common to the entire spectrum of chemical burns are:

Depending on the level of complexity of the injuries, first aid measures and the general picture of treatment measures are determined. How more acute symptoms, the more urgent and effective the assistance provided must be.

Treatment: features of the process and algorithm of measures

What to do in case of a chemical burn if there are no specialized medical supplies at hand? You can always use time-tested and experience-tested methods, the effectiveness of which has been empirically proven.

For example, ordinary baking soda in a two percent solution neutralizes the effects of acids, and citric acid or vinegar perfectly overcomes alkali in any proportions. Sugar in a two percent solution effectively neutralizes lime. Lime milk or glycerin neutralizes carbolic acid.

It is worth noting that if the active substance is in powder form, it is recommended to first remove it from the affected area of the skin, avoiding contact with water.

For example, aluminum, which is a strong reagent, tends to ignite when combined with water, which can cause additional damage. Negative consequences.

It is also not recommended to clean skin damaged by chemical burns using wet wipes and specialized hygiene products. The components present in their composition can only provoke the further development of pathogenic processes and aggravate the consequences of the lesion.

Providing first aid for chemical burns requires at least minimal preliminary preparation, since the nature and dynamics of the lesion in question differs significantly from household thermal damage.

Nature of occurrence

Chemical burns can be caused by many aggressive substances that, when interacting with living organic tissue, cause significant damage. Namely, this:

It is worth noting that the nature of the damage in question is quite complex and difficult to treat. The biochemistry of our body is structured in such a way that any external influence is perceived as extremely painful and can have fatal consequences.

If we consider a chemical burn of the eye, first aid consists of immediately washing the damaged tissue until it is completely cleansed, and a further set of restorative measures.

An important factor in this case, the timeliness of providing medical care is important, since even the slightest delay can lead to irreversible results. In the worst case, this damage can lead to complete blindness.

If a larger area of the face is affected by the harmful effects, when providing assistance it is necessary to use an antiseptic and apply a sterile bandage. Only in this case will it be possible to avoid further infectious damage to tissues and structures of the body.

Professional intervention: reasons for concern

A number of cases of chemical tissue burns require surgical medical intervention. In particular, you must immediately call " ambulance“if the area of damaged skin exceeds 7.5 centimeters in diameter and the damage is deep. In addition, damage that includes:

legs;
hands;
large joints;
buttocks;
face,
oral cavity.

A separate category of lesions under consideration is damage to the esophagus, which in some cases can be fatal to the body. If this damage occurs, first of all it is necessary to thoroughly rinse the victim’s stomach, using the most gentle methods possible. It is natural that the most effective in this case is professional intervention.

Another significant reason to seek qualified medical help is the victim’s state of shock (fainting, fever, possible hallucinations, chills).

It is also worth noting that a burn of this type in most cases is accompanied by severe pain. They can be eliminated for a while using a range of commonly available analgesics, but their effect is temporary. After using analgesics, unpleasant sensations may, on the contrary, only intensify.

If the desired effect of taking the drugs is completely absent, you should immediately consult a doctor, since these manifestations of a burn are symptoms of much more complex pathologies developing in the body. In some cases, it is even possible to use antibiotics.

Tissue damage due to the action of chemicals has quite long-term consequences, which can only be eliminated with the complex action of effective first aid, therapeutic measures and restorative therapy.

In addition, in the future, the body of a person affected in this way requires more careful medical supervision and medicinal support. Possible difficulties in functioning immune system, increasing the threshold of sensitivity to physical and emotional-psychological stress.

Chemical burns: causes, symptoms and signs, first aid measures and comprehensive treatment Many chemicals are powerful enough to destroy tissue in the human body. Concentrated acids and alkalis have the greatest destructive potential. When the human body is exposed to acids and alkalis, chemical burns occur. First aid for chemical burns includes generously washing the burn site with running water to remove the aggressive substance, and applying a sterile bandage to the burn site. If the chemical was swallowed or got into the eyes, then in addition to washing the stomach or eyes, you should call an ambulance. A chemical burn is tissue damage that occurs under the influence of acids, alkalis, heavy metal salts, caustic liquids and other chemically active substances. Chemical burns occur as a result of industrial injuries, safety violations, domestic accidents, as a result of suicide attempts, etc. The depth and severity of a chemical burn depends on: Based on the severity and depth of tissue damage, burns are divided into 4 degrees:

I degree (damage to the epidermis, the upper layer of skin). With a first-degree burn, there is slight redness, swelling and slight tenderness in the affected area of the skin. II degree (damage to deeper layers of skin). A second-degree burn is characterized by the appearance of blisters with transparent contents on reddened and swollen skin. III degree (damage to the deeper layers of the skin down to the subcutaneous adipose tissue) is characterized by the appearance of blisters filled with cloudy liquid or bloody contents, and impaired sensitivity (the burn area is painless). IV degree burn (damage to all tissues: skin, muscles, tendons, even bones).

Most often, chemical skin burns are III and IV degree burns. In case of burns with acids and alkalis, a scab (crust) forms at the burn site. The scab formed after alkali burns is whitish, soft, loose, spreading to adjacent tissues without sharp boundaries. Alkaline liquids are more destructive than acidic ones due to their ability to penetrate deep into tissues. With acid burns, the scab is usually dry and hard, with a sharply demarcated line where it transitions to healthy areas of the skin. Acid burns are usually superficial. The color of the affected skin in a chemical burn depends on the type of chemical agent. Skin burned with sulfuric acid first white, and subsequently changes color to gray or brown. In case of a burn with nitric acid, the affected area of the skin has a light yellow-green or yellow-brown tint. Hydrochloric acid – leaves burns yellow color, acetic acid - burns are dirty white, carbolic acid - white, then turning into brown. A burn caused by concentrated hydrogen peroxide has a grayish tint. The destruction of tissue under the influence of a chemical substance continues even after the cessation of direct contact with it, since the absorption of the chemical substance at the burned area continues for some time. Therefore, it is very difficult to determine the extent of tissue damage in the first hours or even days after injury. The true depth of the burn is usually revealed only 7-10 days after the chemical burn, when the scab begins to fester. The severity and danger of a chemical burn depends not only on the depth, but also on its area. The larger the area of the burn, the more dangerous it is to the life of the victim. Providing first aid for chemical skin burns First aid for chemical skin burns includes: prompt removal of the chemical from the affected surface, reducing the concentration of its residues on the skin by rinsing with plenty of water, cooling the affected areas to reduce pain. In case of a chemical burn to the skin, take the following measures:

Immediately remove clothing or jewelry that has come in contact with chemicals.

To treat the cause of the burn, rinse the chemicals from the surface of the skin by running the affected area under cold running water for at least 20 minutes. If help for a chemical burn is provided with some delay, the duration of washing is increased to 30-40 minutes. Do not try to remove chemicals with wipes or swabs soaked in water from the affected area of skin - this will cause you to rub the chemical into the skin even more. If the aggressive substance that caused the burn has a powdery structure (for example, lime), then you should first remove the remaining chemical substance and only then begin to wash the burned surface. The exception is when, due to the chemical nature of the agent, contact with water is contraindicated. For example, aluminum and its organic compounds ignite when combined with water.

If the burning sensation intensifies after first washing the wound, rinse the burned area again with running water for a few more minutes.

After washing a chemical burn, it is necessary to neutralize the effect of chemicals if possible. If you are burned by acid, wash the damaged area of skin with soapy water or a 2 percent solution of baking soda (that's 1 teaspoon of baking soda to 2.5 cups of water) to neutralize the acid. If you are burned by alkali, wash the damaged area of skin with a weak solution. citric acid or vinegar. For lime burns, a 20% sugar solution is used to neutralize. Carbolic acid is neutralized by glycerin and milk of lime.

Apply a cool, damp cloth or towel to the affected area to relieve pain.

Then cover the burned area with a loose bandage of dry sterile bandage or clean dry cloth.

Minor chemical skin burns usually heal without further treatment. For a chemical burn, seek emergency medical attention if:

The victim has signs of shock (loss of consciousness, pallor, shallow breathing).

The chemical burn has spread deeper than the first layer of skin and covers an area with a diameter of more than 7.5 cm.

A chemical burn affects the eyes, arms, legs, face, groin area, buttocks or large joint, as well as the oral cavity and esophagus (if the victim drank a chemical substance).

The victim experiences severe pain that cannot be relieved with over-the-counter analgesics such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

When going to the emergency room, take a container of chemical or detailed description substances for its identification. The known nature of the chemical substance makes it possible, when providing care in a hospital, to neutralize it, which is usually difficult to do in domestic conditions. Chemical burns to the eyes Chemical burns to the eyes occur when acids, alkalis, lime, ammonia and other aggressive chemicals get into them in everyday or industrial conditions. All chemical eye burns are considered severe eye injuries and therefore require immediate examination and treatment by a doctor. The severity of eye burns depends on chemical composition, concentration, quantity and temperature of the substance that caused the burn, on the condition of the victim’s eyes and the general reactivity of the body, as well as on the timeliness and quality of first aid to the victim. Regardless of the type of chemical, eye burns are usually accompanied by severe subjective sensations: photophobia, cutting pain in the eye and lacrimation, and in severe cases, loss of vision. At the same time, the skin around the eyes is affected. First aid for chemical burns to the eye should be provided immediately. The main measure in providing first aid for chemical burns to the eyes is immediate and abundant rinsing of the eyes with running water. Open the eyelids and rinse the eye for 10-15 minutes with a gentle stream of running water to remove the chemical. You should not waste time searching for a neutralizer, since abundantly washing your eyes with running water is much more effective. For burns caused by alkalis, milk can be used for rinsing. After rinsing, apply a dry bandage (a piece of bandage or gauze). But the most important thing - in all cases of chemical eye burns - consult a doctor as soon as possible. Chemical burns of the esophagus and stomach Chemical burns of the esophagus and stomach occur due to accidental or intentional (suicidal) ingestion of concentrated acids (acetic essence, battery electrolyte) or alkalis ( ammonia). The main symptoms of chemical burns of the digestive organs are severe pain in the mouth, pharynx, esophagus and stomach. If the upper part of the larynx is burned at the same time, patients begin to choke. Vomiting appears with bloody mucus and fragments of burnt mucous membrane. Due to the rapid spread of the burn through the digestive tract, first aid should be provided as early as possible. First aid for chemical burns of the esophagus and stomach consists of neutralizing the chemical agents. For burns with alkalis, the stomach is washed with a weak solution of acetic acid, and for burns with acids - with a solution of baking soda. Be sure to wash your stomach large quantities liquid, achieving complete removal of the chemical agent that caused the burn. A victim with a burn to the esophagus or stomach should be sent to a medical center or hospital as soon as possible.