There is a extremely good review just published in the journal Burns
Burns. 2004 Jun;30(4):391-8.
Instructive reading, explaining why HF burns behave oddly (e.g. little surface effect but major deeper effects upsetting electrolyte balance) & some cautionary tales (death from severe electrolyte imbalance in a 2.5% surface area burn!)
I'd recommend as compulsory reading for anyone who has HF burns as a hazard on their manor.
The review emphasises that irrigation is the first line Rx. Other chemical treatments follow this.
It rates the efficacy of Hexafluorine & topical Calcium Gluconate as good, but insufficient information available on Hexafluorine o side effects to compare against other efficacious treatments.
For very small burns, as is the usual in university laboratories, you should also consider water as 1st line treatment. Always rapidly available, plentiful supply & always in-date. If pain relief is achieved, then the problem is solved & 2nd line treatment may be unnecessary.
This may be a situation like with cyanide poisoning, where antidotes are not made available in labs, to ensure that the essential 1st line low-tech treatment is not by-passed in the rush to use the sacred antidote.
Aileen,
Thanks for posting this. It has provoked me into looking at the evidence & consider reviewing our practice!
Dr. Alan Swann, BM, AFOM
Director of Occupational Health
Occupational Health Service
Imperial College London
Southside building
South Kensington Campus
London
SW7 2AZ
Tel: +44 (20) 7594 9385
Fax: +44 (20) 7594 9407
http://www.imperial.ac.uk/hq/occhealth/
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/spectrum/occhealth (Intranet)
-----Original Message-----
From: Higher Education Occupational Physicians [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Aileen Stewart
Sent: 21 June 2004 10:47
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Hexafluorine vs Calcium Gluconate in the treatment of HF burns
I am wondering if anyone might have current articles or information
evidencing the use of hexafluorine vs. calcium gluconate for skin or
ophthalmic exposures to hydrofluoric acid. I've been asked by one of our
labs about changing to hexafluorine but can't find much UK data to back this
up. Hex fluorine appears to be widely used as the treatment of choice in
Europe and the USA but I'd be grateful for any current UK thinking on this.
Regards
Aileen
Aileen Stewart
University Of Glasgow
Occupational Health Manager
Tel (Direct) 0141 330 8069
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