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Questions and Answers
What are potential sources of mercury exposure?
What are potential sources of mercury exposure?
What is the acute symptom of mercury poisoning that involves difficulty in breathing?
What is the acute symptom of mercury poisoning that involves difficulty in breathing?
Which method describes how mercury vapor can enter the body?
Which method describes how mercury vapor can enter the body?
What chronic symptoms may result from mercury exposure?
What chronic symptoms may result from mercury exposure?
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Which chemical is typically released from an automobile airbag?
Which chemical is typically released from an automobile airbag?
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What is the primary reason that chemical burns can lead to significant damage beyond the initial injury?
What is the primary reason that chemical burns can lead to significant damage beyond the initial injury?
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Which of the following substances is commonly associated with severe chemical burns from household items?
Which of the following substances is commonly associated with severe chemical burns from household items?
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What is the recommended initial step in treating a chemical burn?
What is the recommended initial step in treating a chemical burn?
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What type of necrosis is associated with acid burns due to protein breakdown?
What type of necrosis is associated with acid burns due to protein breakdown?
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Which symptoms can accompany phenol toxicity following chemical exposure?
Which symptoms can accompany phenol toxicity following chemical exposure?
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Study Notes
Chemical Injuries: Acids, Alkalis, and Mercury Poisoning
- Chemical burns account for 30% of burn-related fatalities, despite only comprising 3% of all burns. Over 25,000 substances can cause chemical injury.
General Treatment for Chemical Burns
- Immediate treatment involves:
- Rinsing with cool water (room temperature) for 30 minutes.
- Removing contaminated clothing.
- Contacting a toxicologist immediately.
Acid Burns
- Pathophysiology: Acids damage skin by breaking down proteins leading to coagulation necrosis and eschar formation, potentially limiting burn spread. Eschar coloration can vary by acid type (e.g., yellow for nitric acid, black for sulfuric acid). Acids can also generate heat, exacerbating the burn.
- Common Acids: Hydrofluoric acid, phenols, white phosphorus, dichromate, sodium and potassium nitrate.
- Types of Injuries: Topical exposure (burns), ophthalmic injury, inhalation (pulmonary injury), and systemic toxicity (CNS depression, cardiopulmonary collapse, renal failure, hepatic necrosis).
Alkali Burns
- Pathophysiology: Alkalis dissolve proteins and collagen, allowing deeper penetration. Initial signs may be mild but can progress to severe burns if untreated due to swelling (edema), fluid loss, and tissue damage (liquefaction necrosis).
- Common Alkalis: Anhydrous ammonia, cement, sodium azide (in car airbags leading to sodium hydroxide), sodium and potassium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, sodium carbonate.
Mercury Poisoning
- Sources: Coal burning, chlor-alkali plants, electrical industries, medical devices (e.g., dental amalgam).
- Pathophysiology: Mercury can enter the body through inhalation (vapor crosses the blood-brain barrier), ingestion (absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and crosses the blood-brain barrier), or skin absorption.
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Toxicity Symptoms (Acute):
- Metallic taste
- Nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea
- Fever, headache, drowsiness
- Chest pain, cough, shortness of breath, interstitial pneumonia
- Potential for sudden death from glottis edema (throat swelling).
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Toxicity Symptoms (Chronic):
- Loss of smell, taste, hearing
- Nerve pain, nerve damage, muscle tremors, mood changes
- Kidney failure (tubular necrosis)
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Description
This quiz covers the critical aspects of chemical injuries, including the effects of acids, alkalis, and mercury poisoning. Learn about immediate treatment protocols, the pathophysiology of acid burns, and classifications of chemical burns. Test your knowledge on common substances and their impacts on the body.
