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. 2015 Oct 23;3(10):e548.
doi: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000000519. eCollection 2015 Oct.

Chemical Burn Injury in Kumasi: The Trend and Complications following and Their Management

Pius Agbenorku  1 , Joseph Akpaloo  1 , Facharzt Chirurgie  1 , Ken Aboah  1 , Ellen Klutsey  1 , Paa Ekow Hoyte-Williams  1 , Boutros Farhat  1 , Edmund Turkson  1 , Joseph Yorke  1 , Facharzt Chirurgie  1 , Richard Ametih  1 , Romeo Hussey  1
Affiliations

Chemical Burn Injury in Kumasi: The Trend and Complications following and Their Management

Pius Agbenorku et al. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. .

Abstract

A chemical burn refers to irritation and destruction of human tissue caused by exposure to a chemical, usually by direct contact with the chemical or its fumes. The study investigated the trend and complications following chemical burns and their management.

Methods: The study involved a retrospective review of Burns Registry at the Burns Intensive Care Unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital on patients who were admitted for burns from May 1, 2009 to April 30, 2013.

Results: Chemical burns admissions accounted for 3.5% (n = 17) out of the total 487 burns cases, consisting of 12 males (70.6%) and 5 females (29.4%). Mean total burns surface area was 21.9%; mean length of stay in Burns Intensive Care Unit was 9.5 days. The etiological agents for the chemical burns included the following: hot caustic soda 1 (5.9%); acid 9 (53.9%)-the most common; hot ethanol 3 (17.6%); and other chemicals such as other bases, oxidizers, solvents, etc. accounted for 4 (23.5%) etiological agents. Outcome included 11 discharges (64.7%), 6 transferred out to other wards (35.3%), and 0 deaths (0.0%). The complications included severe scar contractures in 5 patients (29.4%), loss of vision: partial/total = 2 (11.8%), gross keloidal/hypertrophic scars = 10 (58.8%).

Conclusions: Chemical burns are severe and often cause severe debilitating sequelae including partial/total loss of vision. But the current study showed that only a small population (3.5%) were affected by chemical burns and no death was recorded; society has to be continually conscious of chemicals, especially caustic agents, and hence take the necessary precautions so as to prevent these avoidable complications.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: The authors have no financial interest to declare in relation to the content of this article. A portion of the Article Processing Charge was paid for by PRS Global Open at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief. The remainder of the Article Processing Charge was paid for by the authors.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
A, B, Extensive ulceration and scarring due to acid burns.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Severe scarring of the scalp and alopecia due to assault with acid burns.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
A, B, Scar contracture causing ectropion of the left eye due to assault with acid. C, Surgery done: an incision through the scar, releasing the contracture with a full-thickness skin grafting of the defect. Same patient as in Figure 2.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.
A, B, C, The same patient in Figure 3, a week after surgery (contracture release and full-thickness skin grafting).
Fig. 5.
Fig. 5.
Age distribution and chemical burns.
Fig. 6.
Fig. 6.
Chemical burn etiologies, n = 17.
Fig. 7.
Fig. 7.
Nonchemical burns in the study.
Fig. 8.
Fig. 8.
Occupation and chemical burns.
Fig. 9.
Fig. 9.
Location of chemical burns occurrence.
Fig. 10.
Fig. 10.
Anatomical location of chemical burns injuries in the study.
Fig. 11.
Fig. 11.
Outcome of chemical burns.
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