Diphoterine for emergent eye/skin chemical splash decontamination: a review.

Eye/skin chemical splashes are a significant problem. Diphoterine is an hypertonic, polyvalent, amphoteric compound developed in France as an eye/skin chemical splash water-based decontamination solution. In vitro and in vivo, it actively decontaminates approximately 600 chemicals, including acids, alkalis, oxidizing and reducing agents, irritants, lacrimators, solvents, alkylating agents, and radionuclides. Its chemical bond energy for such agents is greater than that of tissue receptors. Its hypertonicity impedes chemical tissue penetration and may remove some amount of skin/cornea-absorbed toxicants not already bound to tissue receptors. Diphoterine chemical reactions are not exothermic. Diphoterine and its acid/alkali decontamination residues are not irritating to the eyes or skin; it is essentially nontoxic. Diphoterine can prevent eye/skin burns following chemical splashes and results in nearly immediate pain relief.