Acid and chemical burns

Text A
Burns caused by acid, alkaline or caustic chemicals can be very
damaging and need immediate medical attention. Chemical burn
occurs when your skin or eyes come into contact with an irritant, such
as an acid or a base. Chemical burns are also known as caustic burns.
They may cause a reaction on your skin or within your body. These
burns can affect your internal organs if chemicals are swallowed.

What causes chemical burns?

Acids and bases cause most chemical burns. Burns caused by

chemicals can happen at school, work, or any place where you handle
chemical materials. Some of the most common products that cause
chemical burns are:

• car battery acid

• bleach
• ammonia
• denture cleaners
• teeth whitening products
• pool chlorination products

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Fig: Distribution of patients with types of burns and mortality

Text B

What are the symptoms of chemical burns?

The symptoms of chemical burns can vary depending on how the burn
occurred. A burn caused by a chemical you swallowed will cause
different symptoms than burns that occur on your skin. The symptoms
of a chemical burn will depend on:

• the length of time your skin was in contact with the chemical
• whether the chemical was inhaled or swallowed
• whether your skin had open cuts or wounds or was intact during
contact
• the location of contact
• the amount and strength of the chemical used
• whether the chemical was a gas, liquid, or solid

For example, if you swallow an alkaline chemical, it will cause burns on

the inside of your stomach. This may produce different symptoms than
a chemical burn on your skin.

In general, the common symptoms associated with chemical burns

include:

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 • blackened or dead skin, which is mainly seen in chemical burns
from acid
• irritation, redness, or burning in the affected area
• numbness or pain in the affected area
• a loss of vision or changes in vision if chemicals have come into
contact with your eyes

Some of the following symptoms may also occur if you’ve swallowed a

chemical:

• irregular heartbeat
• headache
• low blood pressure
• cardiac arrest or heart attack
• shortness of breath
• coughing
• seizures
• dizziness
• muscle twitches
Immediate first aid
After calling for a help prevent severe injuries from a chemical burn:
• try to carefully remove the chemical and any contaminated clothing
• Remove the chemical and affected clothing
• try to remove the chemical and contaminated clothing from contact with
the skin and eyes, but be very careful not to touch or spread the chemical
• use gloves or other protective materials to cover hands and, if possible,
carefully cut away clothing such as T-shirts, rather than pulling them off
over the head
• do not wipe the skin as this may spread contamination

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 • if the chemical is dry, brush it off the skin
• Rinse continuously with clean water
• rinse the affected area continuously with clean water as soon as possible
• try to make sure the water can run off the affected area without pooling
on the skin
• only use water – do not rub or wipe the area

Text C
Treatment in hospital

Depending on the severity of your condition, your healthcare provider

may use the following methods to treat your burn:

• antibiotics
• anti-itch medications
• debridement, which involves cleaning or removing dirt and dead
tissue
• skin grafting, which involves attaching healthy skin from another
part of the body to the burn wound
• intravenous (IV) fluids

For severe burns

You’ll need burn rehabilitation if you’re severely burned. This type of

rehabilitation may provide some of the following treatments:

• skin replacement
• pain management
• cosmetic surgery

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 • occupational therapy, which can help you redevelop everyday
skills
• counselling
• patient education

Text D

( Fig:2 Distribution of patients with survival and percentage of TBSA)

A current study showed a decrease in survival with increasing burn

surface areas, as also with increasing age (Figs.2,3). This is consistent

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with a study from Brazil which shows increased mortality with age and
burn surface areas.

(Fig:3 Distribution of patients with different age groups)

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Specialist support
Specialist burns teams include occupational therapists,
physiotherapists and mental health professionals who can support
your recovery. For chemical burns affecting the eyes, you're also likely
to be urgently assessed by an eye specialist to help minimise the risk of
lasting vision loss. If you've been the victim of an attack and continue
to feel upset, anxious or afraid several days after the incident, you can
ask to be referred to the hospital's mental health liaison team for
support and treatment. Anyone with an existing mental health
problem who has suffered an attack should also be referred to this
team. Burns support groups also provide practical and emotional
support to victims and their families. Your care team should be able to
signpost you to local groups, and the following national organisations
can also help:

• Changing Faces provides support for people whose condition or

injury affects their appearance
• Victim Support provides help and advice to victims and witnesses
of crimes
• Katie Piper Foundation provides specific help for victims and
families of acid attacks and other burns

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Time: 15 minutes

Look at the four texts, A-D, in the separate Text Booklet • For
each question,1-20,look through the texts, A-D, to find in this
Question Paper
Answer all the questions within the 15-minute time
limit. Your answers should be correctly spelt.

Acid and Chemical burns : Questions

1) National organisations? ––––––––
2) Types of burns? ––––––––
3) Comparative evidences? ––––––––
4) First aid measures? ––––––––
5) Multi disciplinary team approach? ––––––––
6) Different etiological factors? ––––––––
7) Loss of vision or changes? ––––––––
Questions 8-14

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Answer the questions,8-14,with a word or short phrase from
one of the texts. Each answer may include words, numbers or
both.

8) The procedure which involves cleaning or removing dirt

and dead tissue from burned area –––––––––––?

9) Who will provide help and advice to victims and witnesses of

crimes–––––––––––?

10) Which group of samples have the highest level of survival

rate –––––?

11) Which type of burns have low mortality rate –––––––

–––––––?

12) Use –––––––––––– or –––––––––––– materials to cover

hands while caring chemical burns?

13) A Study found up to 20% of TBSA cases have ––––––––––

survival rate?

14) A cosmetic treatment by placing a healthy skin from

another part of the body to the burn wound –––––––––––
–––?

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Questions 15-20
Complete each of the sentences, 15-20, with a word or short
phrase from one of the texts. Each answer may include words,
numbers or both.

15) Rinse the affected area continuously with –––––––––––

water?

16) –––––––––––– changes are mainly seen in chemical

burns from acid?

17) –––––––––––– and ––––––––––––– cause most

chemical burns?

18) Do not ––––––––––––– the skin to prevent further

contamination?

19) Anyone with an existing mental health problem who has

suffered an attack should be referred to ––––––––––––––––
team?

20) Chemical burns are also known as ————————

———?

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