Chemical burns

Chemical burns by acids or bases can cause heaviest eye injuries. Household cleaner and lime (construction sites) represent the potentially most dangerous substances, not the washing soap.

Chemical burns of the eyes still require immediate action at the scene of an accident even before the rescue service is called:
  • If possible, you carry your child to the next basin and you keep the eye under the cold faucet. Take care that the injured eye lies below so that the chemical doesn't reach the healthy eye or go off about the face.
  • Keep the eye open and let waters run from the external canthus to inside.
  • Proceed for 15 minutes so.
  • Should no fluent water be nearby, but no milk also other fluids can be used just like beer or (carbonic) mineral water because of the fat content.
  • Put a piece of gauze or a clean handkerchief for her child after rinsing out thoroughly on the eye and fasten it with adhesive tape. The eye should remain closed.
  • Go with your child to the next eye hospital.
The extent of the chemical burns is divided up into different heaviness degrees. Only the topmost cornea layer is taken off at a light chemical burn. The edge of the cornea remains unchanged. The cornea can regenerate itself from there again. No corneal clouding arises later.

Not only the external layer of the cornea but also the conjunctiva is damaged at a chemical burn of medium difficulty. The red coloring of the conjunctiva is a favorable sign because the blood flow still works.

Heaviest chemical burns of the eye can be recognized by a thick white dulling of the eyeball. Also deeper parts of the eye like the iris, lens, vessels and dermis are destroyed irreparably. The eye goes blind.

The medical treatment in the eye hospital is carried out in the following way:
  • The eyes are washed intensively and deadened locally. Possible chemical particles are removed.
  • The eye irrigations are repeated.
  • The eyes are treated in short distances with vitamin C guttas and also with antibiotic eye drops. Perhaps cortisone guttas are also given.
  • Mydriatika are one dripped to the restraint of the pupil.
vitamin C, cortisone and antiphlogistic medicines supplementally are given for taking.

The chances of recovery at chemical burns depend on the heaviness degree of the injury. Base injuries have generally a worse prognosis than acid corrosions.


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