Premergency First Aid, CPR and AED Manual

7 Bleeding, Wound Care and Trauma

First aid for a chemical burn is basically the same as that for a thermal burn (discussed later). Stop the burning process by removing the chemical from the patient. A dry chemical activated by water may damage the skin more when it is wet than when it is dry. Therefore, always brush dry chemicals off the skin and clothing before flushing the affected area with water. Remove clothing, shoes, jewelry, or glasses as small amounts of chemical can remain in seams and creases. For liquid chemicals, immediately begin flushing the burned area with large amounts of water. Take care not to flush chemicals onto uninjured areas or to make the patient hypothermic (cold injury). Never use a high pressure stream of water from a hose directly on a patient as this can damage the burned skin.

Chemical Burn to the face

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