Chemical burns: retrospective review.

The records of 51 patients with chemical burns were reviewed to identify demographics, mechanism and place of injury, cause, distribution, initial management, and outcome of treatment. Patients were classified as having received adequate (immediate dilution or neutralization of the chemical treatment--group A, or inadequate (delayed or inappropriate) treatment--group B. Inpatient mortality for chemical burns was 13% compared to 15% overall burn center mortality. Of the burns, 79% occurred in the 21-50 age group; 69% of burns were work-related in men and 17% in women. In group A, 19% required skin grafting (mortality 9.5%); in group B, 36% required grafting (mortality 21%). Alkali were the most frequent cause of burns, followed by sulfuric acid and, less often, gasoline, anhydrous ammonia, white phosphorus, and hydrofluoric acid.