Going deep into chemical burns.
This is a five year retrospective study of chemical burn injury in our burn center between 1 January 1987 and 31 December 1991. Of the 1,226 total burn cases, 131 patients had chemical burns. We noted a constant prevailing incidence of 10.7% per year. Males (72%) are more common than females (28%). Most of those injured are in the working age group (65%). Majority of cases had deep full thickness burn involving less than 10% of their total body surface area. Sulfuric acid is the most common chemical agent encountered. We had three mortality cases with deep third degree burns covering 60% of their total body surface area. Some clinical cases are demonstrated. Lastly, proposed solutions for the prevention of chemical burns are cited.
Wang
C Y
CY
Department of Plastic Surgery, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Su
M J
MJ
Chen
H C
HC
Ou
S Y
SY
Liu
K W
KW
Hsiao
H T
HT
D000062:Accidents, Occupational; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002057:Burns, Chemical / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology