Emedinews:Insights on Medicolegal Issues:What is medical treatment of chemical contamination and burn?

• In case of chemical contamination or burn injury of eye, put fluorescein drops in the eye. Burns will stain yellow.
• If there are yellow stains with fluorescein, put chloramphenicol 1% eye ointment in the eye. Put more ointment into the eye every two hours. Continue until the eye is no longer red and the sclera is white, and then for another 24 hours.
• If the pain is severe the patient may need an intramuscular injection of morphine.
• If there is no water nearby dab or gently wipe the skin and hair with cloths or paper.
• Immediately wash the affected part of the body under cold or lukewarm running water, using soap if you have some. If there is no running water use buckets of water. Do it quickly and use a lot of water. Wear gloves and an apron if needed, to protect you from splashes of chemical. Some chemicals give off vapor: be careful not to breathe it in.
• Quickly remove any of the patient’s clothes contaminated with chemical or vomit, as well as shoes and wrist watch if necessary. Speed is important. Cut the clothes off if the chemicals are very poisonous or corrosive.
• If large areas of the body are contaminated with chemical, wash the patient under a shower or a hose. Remember to clean the hair and under the fingernails, in the groin and behind the ears, if necessary.
• Continue to pour water over the patient for 10 minutes or longer if you can still see chemicals on the skin. If the skin feels sticky or soapy, wash it until the feeling disappears. This may take an hour or more.
• Make sure the water drains away freely and safely as it will have chemical in it.
• Do not rub or scrub the skin.
• Dry the skin gently with a clean, soft towel. If clothing stays stuck to the skin even after water has been poured over it, do not remove it.
• Remember that many chemicals can pass through the skin very quickly. Look for signs of poisoning.