Acute chemical skin injuries in the United States: a review

Abstract

The objective was to perform a thorough review of published and other available data to elucidate the extent of chemical skin injuries in the US. Chemical skin injuries differ significantly from skin lesions produced by other injury mechanisms, so this review was restricted to the former. Retrieval of relevant published data was performed in PubMed and Google. Other data were retrieved from the American College of Surgeons National Trauma Databank, American Burn Association National Burn Repository, US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, websites of all 50 US States Departments of Health, and the National Poison Data System of the American Association of Poison Control Centers. Two areas of significance in disfiguring skin burn injuries and particularly of chemical skin injuries, psychosocial issues and the associated financial burden, have been briefly reviewed. Because of the paucity of published data, international as well as US data have been included. A brief description of an active flushing fluid as an alternative to potable water, Diphoterine^® solution, has also been included. Chemical skin injuries generally comprise approximately 2–5% of all skin burns, but sometimes higher percentages have been reported. Data analysis shows that while there are various sources regarding the epidemiology of chemical skin injuries, the total annual number cannot be determined because there is no centralized US national reporting mechanism. Literature and clinical experience demonstrate the importance of chemical skin injuries in USA. Dermal exposures to chemicals can result in mortality and morbidity. Chemical skin injuries can be avoided or ameliorated and preventive advanced measures should be taken to reduce or ameliorate them.

Keywords:

• Burns
• skin burns
• dermal burns
• chemical burns
• chemical skin injury

Declaration of interest

The regular employment affiliation of the authors is shown on the cover page. The authors were compensated by Laboratoire Prevor, either as consultants or employees for preparation of this review. Diphoterine^® solution, developed and marketed by Laboratoire Prevor, is reviewed in this paper. The preparation of the review, conclusions drawn, and the recommendations made are the exclusive professional work product of the authors and may not necessarily be those of the employers or the financial sponsor of the review. None of the authors have participated in regulatory or legal proceeding during the past five years related to the contents of the paper.