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Medical Author:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Medical Editor:

Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP

Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP

Dr. Balentine received his undergraduate degree from McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. He attended medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine graduating in1983. He completed his internship at St. Joseph's Hospital in Philadelphia and his Emergency Medicine residency at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in the Bronx, where he served as chief resident.

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Chemical Burns Self-Care at Home

Begin basic first aid. Immediately call 911 if a person has a severe injury, any shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness, or other symptoms throughout the body. If are aiding an injured person with these symptoms, lay the person down and immediately call 911. Protect yourself and make sure that you are not exposing yourself to the same chemical.

• Remove yourself or the injured person from the accident or exposure area. Take appropriate care not to cause further injury to the patient.
• Remove any contaminated clothing.
• Wash the injured area to dilute or remove the substance, using large volumes of water. Wash for at least 20 minutes, taking care not to allow runoff to contact unaffected parts of anyone's body. Gently brush away any solid materials, again avoiding unaffected body surfaces.
• Especially wash away any chemical in the eyes. Sometimes the best way to get large amounts of water to the eyes is to take a shower. If there is an eye wash station nearby (usually fond at work sites), follow the simple instructions to rinse out the eyes.