Chemical Splashes

Remove contaminated clothing. Drench casualty with water to wash the chemical from the eyes and skin. Give priority to washing the eyes, which are particularly vulnerable to chemical splashes. If only one eye is affected, incline the head to the side of the affected eye to prevent the chemical from running across into the other eye. Wash the chemical out of the eye with copious amounts of water as for long as is necessary to ensure that none remains (usually at least 10 minutes).

Care of burns and scalds

The treatment of burns and scalds is the same, whether they are caused by dry or wet heat.

Classification

Skin has an outer layer (epidermis) and a deep layer (dermis). The latter contains the sweat glands, hair follicles, and nerves relaying sensation and pain to the skin.

First-degree burns affect only the outer skin layer, causing redness, mild swelling, tenderness, and pain.

Second-degree burns extend into the deeper skin layer (dermis):

Superficial second-degree burns cause deep reddening, blister formation, considerable swelling and weeping of fluid.

Deep second-degree burns may not be easy to distinguish from third-degree burns immediately after the injury. Pain may be severe because of damage to the nerve endings.

Third-degree burns involve the whole thickness of skin, and may extend to the underlying fat, muscle, and bone. The skin may be charred, black or dark brown, leathery or white, according to the cause of the burn. Pain may be absent owing to destruction of the nerve endings.