What should you do if your partner gets corrosive material in his/her eyes?

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The pH value of the eye is neutral. If alkalis or acids get into our eyes, the pH value changes radically, and it only takes a few seconds to cause a corrosive injury. Alkaline substances are behind most corrosive injuries.

Common causes of injuries: Exploding batteries, splashes from lye, cement, chalk, dishwasher detergents, some laundry detergents, ammonia, degreasing agents, paint, washing soda and adhesives. Metal filings, dirt and dust should also be immediately flushed away to make sure they do not get stuck in your eye.

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Any kind of injury or trauma to the eyes should be taken seriously. Prompt medical attention for eye problems can save your vision and prevent further complications.

Chemical burns

Chemicals common at home or in the workplace can easily get splashed into your eyes. It is important to wear safety glasses when handling toxic or abrasive chemicals and use caution with household cleaners in order to prevent injury.

First aid care for chemical burns includes:

• Remain calm and keep your eyes open until they can be flushed. Closing your eyes traps the chemical in and does further damage.
• Flush eyes generously with water for 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure you keep your eyes open during flushing.
• Get immediate medical care.

You can also call your local poison control center for instructions. Be prepared to give information about the name and type of chemical, if possible.

Foreign object

The eye often cleans itself of debris with tearing, so no treatment is needed until you are certain the eye cannot remove the object by itself.

First aid care for foreign objects in the eyes includes:

• Don’t rub your eyes.
• Lift the upper eyelid up and out over the lower lid, and then roll your eyes around.
• Flush your eyes generously with water, and keep your eyes open during flushing.
• Repeat the previous steps until the object is eliminated.
• Follow up with a doctor to make sure all debris is gone and the eyes have not been scratched or damaged. Your doctor may evaluate you for damage by using a special eye drop that fluoresces under a certain type of light; it will help reveal any cuts or scratches in the cornea.

If there is an object embedded in the eye, do NOT remove it, as this may cause further damage. Instead, cover the eye with an eye shield or gauze and seek prompt medical attention.

Blows to the eye (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Impact to the eye is another form of eye trauma. Minor blows can often be managed at home. Any eye injury should be monitored for signs of a serious injury or potential infection.

First aid care for a blow to the eyes includes:

• Gently place a cold compress over your eye in 5- to 10-minute intervals. Do not place ice directly on the skin. Instead, use a cloth in between the ice and skin.
• Call your doctor. They may want to examine the eye for potential damage. If the trauma was significant (for example, skull fracture or displaced bones), you will need to go to an emergency department for immediate evaluation.
• After 24 hours, switch to warm compresses. This will help lessen bruising.

Seek immediate medical attention if you notice any of the following symptoms:

• drainage from the affected eye
• vision changes
• persistent pain
• any visible abnormalities or bleeding in the sclera, which is the white part of the eye

Cuts or puncture wounds on the eye or lid

You should seek immediate medical care if you suffer this type of injury. However, you need to follow some basic first aid steps to ensure proper safety and support.

In the past, emergency oxygen was commonly recommended as a first aid procedure for almost any chemical inhalation exposure. Later, concern was expressed that the administration of oxygen itself may be harmful if carried out improperly or in the wrong circumstances. In particular, there was concern that administering oxygen to people with chronic obstructive lung diseases, such as chronic bronchitis or emphysema, could cause the person to stop breathing. However, recent reviews have concluded that, during an emergency situation, the lack of oxygen is the most critical issue and there should be little concern over worsening the condition of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The presence of oxygen cylinders in the workplace can introduce additional hazards. For example, since oxygen supports combustion, the presence of oxygen cylinders could contribute to a fire hazard in the workplace. Also, since oxygen is stored under high pressure, the cylinder can behave like a missile if the valve breaks or the tank is punctured. Therefore, the risks and benefits of storing and maintaining an emergency oxygen supply in the workplace must be weighed.

There are some situations where the benefits of emergency oxygen outweigh the potential risks associated with maintaining and storing oxygen cylinders in the workplace. Emergency oxygen may be beneficial following exposure to chemicals that interfere with the body getting the necessary levels of oxygen to sustain life and health, including chemicals that:

• Displace oxygen in the air, reducing the amount of oxygen available for breathing (e.g., helium, argon, methane, carbon dioxide or nitrogen).
• Reduce the ability of blood to transport oxygen (e.g., carbon monoxide poisoning, or methemoglobinemia – presence of an oxidized form of hemoglobin in the blood that does not transport oxygen).
• Compromise the use of oxygen by body tissue, as with cyanide or hydrogen sulfide toxicity.
• Interfere with the ability of oxygen to cross through the lungs to the blood stream, as occurs with pulmonary edema, a potentially fatal accumulation of fluid in the lungs. Ammonia, phosgene and chlorine are examples of chemicals that can cause pulmonary edema.
• Provoke a severe asthma attack (e.g., toluene diisocyanate).

Additional training of first aid providers is required since basic first aid training courses do not include oxygen administration. First aid providers must be familiar with the laws that govern the use of oxygen administration in their workplace.

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