First aid and prevention of chemical burns of the eye

  Chemical burns are one of the most common ocular trauma in life, commonly including acid and alkaline burns, explosion injuries, 502 adhesive burns, etc., of which alkaline burns are the most serious. Chemical burns of the eye have many sequelae and a high rate of blindness, and are one of the more inpatient categories of ophthalmology, often affecting the patient’s appearance and vision. Early and correct treatment and active and effective first aid can reduce the patient’s pain, promote trauma repair, protect vision and reduce the disability rate.  Common acidic chemicals include: sulfuric acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, acetic acid, etc. These acidic substances splashed into the eye can cause corneal epithelial peeling, corneal clouding and conjunctival necrosis. Because of its coagulation effect on tissue proteins, the coagulated proteins are insoluble in water, so it can prevent the acid from continuing to penetrate deeper, so the tissue damage is relatively light. Alkaline chemicals are common: potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, lime, ammonia, etc.  Alkaline substances and fat in the tissue saponification reaction, so that alkaline substances quickly penetrate the eye tissue, so that even after the alkaline substances on the surface of the eye are washed away, alkaline substances can still spread to the deeper tissues in the eye, so the damage to the eye tissue from alkali burns is continuous, and can cause corneal perforation or blindness.  Acid and alkali burns of the eye not only damage the visual function, but can also affect the appearance of the injured person in serious cases. Therefore, the prevention and treatment of ocular chemical injuries should be taken seriously. The most important step in the management of acid-base burns is to thoroughly flush the eye at the scene in a hurry. Should be immediately in place, in case of emergency, do not have to overemphasize whether the rinse water is clean, general cool boiled water, tap water, well water, river water can be, and even just discharged urine can be cleaned eyes. Flushing should be done by flipping the eyelids, turning the eyeballs, exposing the dome, and washing out the chemicals in the conjunctival sac thoroughly, and should be done for at least 30 minutes.  Or immediately submerge the face in a basin of water, pull the eyelids open and turn the eye, and swing the head. Lime accidentally entering the eye should not be rinsed immediately, but the particles should be removed before rinsing. Whether the first aid is timely and adequate at the scene is directly related to the efficacy of treatment, and should not be rushed to the hospital without flushing, so as not to delay the treatment; avoiding the occurrence of eye injury is important to do a good job of prevention. To strengthen health publicity and education, to improve the prevention of the masses. Chemical injury-prone work environment, the site should be equipped with cool boiled water or tap water, the conditions should be equipped with 3% boric acid water and 2% sodium bicarbonate water is beneficial to salvage. When engaged in activities related to acid and alkali liquids, be sure to pay attention to labor protection, if necessary, wear protective goggles.