Manual

Chemical injury

Emergencies

Chemical injury

Irrigate first, examine later.

TRUE EMERGENCY — begin copious irrigation immediately (before acuity), with any non-toxic fluid, for ≥ 30 min until pH 7.0–7.4.
  1. 1Topical anesthetic, lid speculum or Morgan lens.
  2. 2Sweep fornices; evert lids to remove particles.
  3. 3Check pH 5–10 min after stopping; continue until neutral.
  4. 4Grade limbal ischemia (Roper-Hall / Dua).
  5. 5Treat: topical antibiotic, steroid (first week), cycloplegic, ascorbate/citrate, doxycycline; amniotic membrane for severe cases.

Alkali (lye, lime, ammonia, airbag dust) penetrates deeper and is worse than acid (acids precipitate proteins, limiting penetration).

NextCentral retinal artery occlusion

Educational summary — follow local protocols and current guidelines.