Rare Case of Wet Cement Burn reported in JEM
Burns are a common condition presenting to the emergency department; the majority are thermal burns. However, in a recent case report, Dr Aaron J Lacy and his team have reported a case of a 7-year-old boy who accidentally got wet cement all over his head and torso ended up in the emergency room with burns after exposure to wet cement. The report has been published in The Journal of Emergency Medicine on June 02, 2021.
Wet cement can cause severe chemical burns as cement becomes highly alkaline when mixed with water. Wet cement can have a pH as high as 14, the authors noted in the report. They wrote, "Wet cement is often a poorly recognized cause of alkali burns".
Treatment of wet cement burn usually involves rinsing the skin with a copious amount of water. Physicians also use polyethene glycol to wash the skin, but there is no evidence that these are better alternatives to water.
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