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Caustic ingestion occurs when someone accidentally or deliberately ingests a caustic or corrosive substance.Depending on the nature of the substance, the duration of exposure and other factors it can lead to varying degrees of damage to the oral mucosa, the esophagus, and the lining of the stomach.
A 2016 analysis of emergency department visits from 2010 to 2013 reported over 36,000 visits annually for chemical burns to the eye, with a median age at presentation of 32 years. [4] By individual year of age, 1- and 2-year-old children have the highest incidence of these injuries, with rates approximately 50% higher than the highest-risk ...
Sodium hydroxide is a dangerous chemical due to its ability to hydrolyze protein. If a dilute solution is spilled on the skin, burns may result if the area is not washed thoroughly and for several minutes with running water. Splashes in the eye can be more serious and can lead to blindness. [40]
Potassium hydroxide is a caustic alkali and its solutions range from irritating to skin and other tissue in low concentrations, to highly corrosive in high concentrations. Eyes are particularly vulnerable, and dust or mist is severely irritating to lungs and can cause pulmonary edema. [27] Safety considerations are similar to those of sodium ...
Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve, usually due to high pressure in the eye. While the damage is not usually reversible, a variety of things can be done to prevent ...
Exposure to lower concentrations can result in eye irritation, a sore throat and cough, nausea, shortness of breath, and fluid in the lungs. [55] These effects are believed to be due to hydrogen sulfide combining with alkali present in moist surface tissues to form sodium sulfide, a caustic. [62] These symptoms usually subside in a few weeks.
If it gets into the eyes, there is a danger of severe eye injury. Cerium salts increase the blood coagulation rate, and exposure to cerium salts can cause sensitivity to heat. Oxalates are corrosive to tissue and are powerful irritants. They have a caustic effect on the linings of the digestive tracts and can cause kidney damage.
Exposure may also occur through skin or eye contact or by ingesting chlorine-contaminated food or water. Chlorine is a strong oxidizing element causing the hydrogen to split from water in moist tissue, resulting in nascent oxygen and hydrogen chloride that cause corrosive tissue damage.