Initial management when eye burns

Eye burns are a special emergency in ophthalmology because the disease is often severe and common in the eyes. In many cases, although it has been promptly treated, it still leaves severe sequelae affecting eyesight and aesthetics or blindness. Therefore, emergency treatment in the first minutes after burns will limit a lot of the harmful effects of burns on the eyes.

Burned eyes (Photo: biola)

In peacetime, eye burns account for 6-10% of eye injury cases, mainly due to chemicals, especially acid or alkaline eye burns, which tend to increase with increasing chemical production. , use chemicals for wrong purposes.

Cause: Some victims are badly sprayed by the bad guys on their faces due to jealousy or personal hatred, others in the process of using or transporting, by carelessly making chemicals in the eyes causing burns.

The prognosis of severe or mild disease depends on the treatment sooner or later. Clinical conditions mainly depend on the concentration and pH of the chemicals, the time the chemicals stay in the eyes.

- Dilute acids often cause only mild and shallow lesions.

- Solid or pure acids with pH

Because acid comes into contact with tissues and organs, it causes sudden necrosis to freeze surface proteins, thus preventing the spread of chemicals. Acid does not spread in depth into the tissues of the eye so it will cause damage from the beginning. Prognosis can be learned immediately after a burn.

Eye burns due to base types are most severe because of contact with cells that disintegrate cells, cause mollusks, causing deep saponification, absorb water from the cell and produce heat that causes burns. Burns are often severe due to the spread of base into the eyes by width and depth, the effect lasts for many days. It is difficult to predict at the beginning and always be cautious even if the initial injury is not severe. The most dangerous bases are concentrated solutions, ammonium groups and its compounds, lime and cement.

Initial management:

The prognosis of the burned eye depends on the emergency in the first moments after the burn, so the emergency management in the place of the accident is something that should be disseminated and instructed to everyone. The first urgent need is to eliminate burns from the eyes by washing eyes with plenty of water and prolonged with physiological serum and clean water. In the absence of clean water, it is necessary to accept clean water (pond water, lake, field .) to wash face.

Effect of eye washing:

- Eliminate the agent causing burns from the eyes.

- Reduce the concentration of chemicals causing burns.

- Inventory is hurt.

- Limit the sequelae later.

How to wash:

- Can self-wash patients by soaking their face - eyes into the water and try to blink their eyes many times in the water to circulate the entire eye surface.

- Others can help patients wash their eyes by using water, porridge, buckets, pots . to flush water into the patient's eyes in the position of a patient lying on his back, eyes open actively or other people have to rim mi help.

- The amount of washing water must be at least several liters.

- Time to wash at least 10 - 15 minutes.

Note : Absolutely do not wash your eyes with basic neutralizing acid solutions and vice versa because it will make the burn situation worse.

Thus, eye wash at the accident site is a simple but very valuable measure that causes the agent to burn no longer at the surface of the eyeball and the conjunctival sac to penetrate into the party organization. in the eyes, preserving the physiological function of the eye. The result of good or bad treatment is due to the initial emergency management decision. After the first aid has been handled, antibiotic grease should be transferred to the ophthalmologist for treatment. When transferring the patient, contraindicate the eye bandage but only cover the eyes.

Note : For cases of eye burns, lime must be removed from the lime and then the eyes will be washed.

Preventing burn accidents:

- Conscious education to prevent eye injury for everyone, especially at the age of students and workers.

- Improving working conditions and strengthening labor protection for workers: In factories, factories, laboratories that use chemicals need to wear eye protection. Sufficient emergency care, water taps, water tanks and clean water are required for eye washing.

- It is necessary to severely treat those who use chemicals to harm others for any reason.

- Prohibit children from standing next to a lime pit or playing naughty with each other's eyes.

- In places where I have to lime, piles must be fenced around and there must be danger signs.

Doctor Le Hoc Han