Chemical skin burns

A mild degree of spermatogenic suppression and impaired reproductive performance was reported in a follow-up study of eight men accidentally exposed to bromine vapor. The men were exposed between 50 and 240 minutes to unknown concentrations after a spill. Clinical manifestations including respiratory distress and chemical skin burns were noted at the time of the incident. Because of the small number in the cohort, a confident cause-result linkage cannot be established for bromine exposure and reproductive effects. 

Skin reactions to ethanol are extremely rare, although allergic contact dermatitis due to lower aliphatic alcohols has been described (SEDA-11, 474) (3). However, in premature infants of very low birth weight, second-degree and third-degree chemical skin burns were reported after... 

DMAE (also called deanol, dimethylethanolamine and norcholine) is a small hydrophilic molecule. Its low molecular weight (89.1) allows it to penetrate the skin easily. DMAE is a precursor of acetylcholine (ACh), via choline (Figure 3.9). It is a viscous liquid, as transparent as water, that is often said to smell like ammonia but is in fact more reminiscent of fish long past its sell-by-date. Anchovies, sardines and salmon are important natural sources of DMAE. It is naturally present in the body, and there are traces of it in the brain. DMAE is a very basic molecule (pH 11) that cannot be used in its pure state without the risk of causing chemical skin burns. It must be partially neutralized for use at pH 7. Many derivatives have been used in its place (e.g. DMAE bitartrate or acetamidoben-zoate), but these are more suitable for oral rather than topical use. 

Other Weight loss or gain, chemical skin burns, neurogenic bladder dysfunction... 

Generally, an antibacterial cream should be given to chemical skin burns to protect the surface and to prevent secondary infection. If there is a significant element of inflammation in non-necrotic areas, a mild topical corticosteroid preparation can be used. Frequent examinations of primarily superficial and limited burns are also advisable, as they can become deeper in a few days. 

Chemical skin burns can cause hyper- or hypopig-mentation. Chemical burns involving deeper parts of the skin heal with scarring. Tumors of both malignant and benign types may rarely develop in scars. In the acute stage of chemical burns from, for example, phenolic compounds and hydrofluoric acid/fluorides, the sensory nerve system is frequently affected. 

Table 2. Treatment for chemical skin burns caused by some specific chemicals...

Acid and, particularly, alkaline products play a significant role in the development of irritant contact dermatitis and in chemical skin burns [i]. It is important to determine the degree of acidity or alkalinity in a product suspected of causing skin problems in order to avoid false-positive diagnoses of contact dermatitis. 

Bruze M, Fregert S (1993) Chemical skin burns. In Menne T, Maibach HI (eds) Hand eczema book. Boca Raton, Florida, pp 21-30... 

In premature infants, chemical skin burns were reported after the use of isopropanol for conduction of electrocardiography (Schick and Milstein 1981) and preparation of the umbilical stump for arterial catheterization (Bonacci and Haddow 1970). The patch-test concentrations for both are as is or in 10% aqua. 

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