First aid for chemical burns

To say which burn is more unpleasant - thermal or chemical - is difficult. Each of these injuries is accompanied by very severe pain and heals long enough. To prevent all possible negative consequences of the lesions, with chemical burns, it is necessary to provide competent first aid. Otherwise, acids, alkalis, heavy metal salts or other substances that usually become the cause of injury will continue to affect the tissues.

How to provide first aid for a chemical burn?

The sooner you come to the aid of the victim, the more he will have a chance at a successful recovery. The main task of the facilitator is to carefully remove the reagent from the skin and neutralize it.

First aid for thermal and chemical burns is somewhat different:

1. Remove clothing and jewelry from the affected area.
2. Rinse the reagent. Liquid burning substances are eliminated under running water. To remove the chemical to the maximum, it is necessary to keep the injured area of ​​the skin under the crane for at least a quarter of an hour. Do not flush the powder with water. They must first be completely removed from the epidermis, and only then the injury is washed.
3. If suddenly, even after the first medical aid with thermal burns, the victim complains of burning, the wound should be washed again.
4. Now you can begin to neutralize the chemical. The acid is rendered harmless by a 2% soda solution or soapy water. Alkalis become safe if they are exposed to a weak solution of vinegar or citric acid. Those who had to provide first aid for a burn with a chemical such as carbolic acid, you need to use glycerin or lime milk. Lime is neutralized by a 2% sugar solution.
5. Cold compresses will help to remove the pain.
6. The final stage is the imposition of a free bandage on the injury. It should be free.

When is qualified first aid for chemical burns required?

In fact, after receiving a chemical burn to a specialist, you need to contact in any case. But there are times when you can not postpone going to hospital for a second.

Urgent first aid in the hospital for burns with chemicals should be provided with:

• signs of shock ;
• defeat of the groin, face, mouth, internal organs;
• deep and large-scale lesions.