21/04/2021 How to Treat Concrete Burns - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.

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How to Treat Concrete Burns

This lesson is going to discuss the rst aid and advanced treatments that are required to treat concrete burns.
We will also discuss why the treatments are done.

Concrete Burns
Did you know you can be burned by concrete? How do you treat such an injury? Concrete is the
alkaline chemical used to make sidewalks and the structure of buildings. Something is alkaline
when it has a pH higher than 7. Concrete has a pH closer to between 12 and 13, and is
characterized as highly alkaline. Compare this pH level to that of human skin, which has a pH
level of about 5.5. Because our skin's pH falls below 7, it is considered acidic.

You may know that when acids and bases mix, a reaction of some sort will occur. This is exactly
what happens when alkaline concrete comes into contact with our acidic skin. The reaction
between the two gives o heat and causes the skin to burn. This burn is di erent from a burn
from being on re. It is a chemical burn and must be treated as such.

First Aid
If someone gets concrete on their skin, there are a few things that you as a nurse can do to
prevent the burn from worsening. Just like in a laboratory, the chemical reaction will continue
until the acid and base are used up or stopped externally. This means that the burn from the
reaction on the skin will continue to get worse until it is stopped.

First, remove whatever clothing and shoes that have concrete on them. The bers of clothing
will enhance the chemical reaction and make the burn worse. Once clothing has been removed,
be sure to brush o any pieces or specks of concrete on the skin before proceeding. The
addition of water to unhardened concrete will soften and spread the mix, making the problem
worse.

Flush the skin with water for at least 20 minutes. The chemical reaction and burn can be
stopped even more e ectively if you add vinegar, a citrus juice like orange juice, or some other
slightly acidic liquid to the water used to ush the skin. Do not use a very acidic substance
because highly acidic substances also burn the skin, compounding the injury.

If concrete has gotten into the patient's eyes, ush them with water only. Rinse their eyes for 20
minutes and refer them quickly into the care of an ophthalmologist.

Minor concrete burns, such as surface burns or those that are caught early, may need only need
to be ushed before the application of aloe vera. Aloe vera acts as a natural antiseptic as well as
a soothing agent. A doctor should still evaluate the patient before the patient is released to be

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sure the burn is not deeper than it appears.

Advanced Treatment
If the patient's burn is severe or deep, then more advanced care is needed. Prepare the patient
for additional cleansing by providing a pain reliever, which will help with the procedure as well
as discomfort from the burn itself.

In this case, clean the skin more thoroughly to remove any remaining concrete and to prevent
an infection. Do this by irrigating their skin with either a saline or slightly acidic water solution.
Depending on how deep concrete specks have become embedded in the skin, you may want to
use pre-operative scrubbing solution and brush to help remove all of the material.

Apply cold compresses to the burned areas of the skin to further relieve pain and decrease
in ammation. If the patient's legs have been burned, raise them above the waistline to ensure
blood ow to the rest of the body.

Cover the burns with non-adhesive bandages and transport the patient to the burn unit of your
or a nearby hospital. The hospital is better suited to monitor the patient's healing process. If
signi cant progress is not seen, a recommendation may be made by the burn unit for a skin
debridement. In a skin debridement procedure, a doctor or surgeon will scrape away dead and
damaged skin cells from the burn site.

In some cases, patients may need a skin graft, during which outer layers of skin from one part
of the body are moved to the injury site, where the skin has been removed. This is often the
case for patients who have su ered deep second degree or third degree burns.

The debridement and grafting will help to protect the muscles and organs of the body, as well as
allow skin to regrow over the burn site. If you work in the burn unit as a nurse, then you will
cover the skin grafts with bandages that allow for draining, but still protect against infection.
During this entire time of treatment, a physician will prescribe strong pain relievers as well as
antibiotics to the patient to prevent any further complications from the burn.

Lesson Summary
Concrete is an alkaline chemical used to make sidewalks and the structure of buildings.
Alkaline means a substance has a pH level higher than 7. Human skin's pH is about 5.5, making
it acidic, meaning it has a pH below 7. Concrete on the skin causes chemical burns that need
immediate treatment.

First aid treatments for concrete burns include:

Remove wet clothing and shoes

Brush away concrete specks and ush the burned skin with water or water with vinegar or citrus juice.

Flush eyes for 20 minutes with plain water and refer the patient to an ophthalmologist.

Apply aloe vera to the burn site.

Advanced treatments for concrete burns include:

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Irrigate the skin with either a saline or slightly acidic water solution.

Use pre-operative scrubbing solution and brush to remove concrete embedded in the skin.

Apply cold compresses to the burned areas.

Cover burns with non-adhesive bandages.

Second and third degree burns may also require skin debridement, when burned skin is
medically scraped away from the site, or skin grafting, which involves the moving of outer
layers of skin from one part of the body to an area where skin has been removed. Pain medicine
and antibiotics are recommended for cases of severe chemical burns.

Medical Disclaimer: The information on this site is for your information only and is not a substitute
for professional medical advice.

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