Unmasking the silent threat: deep tissue impacts of chemical burns – a case report
Chemical burns, often caused by corrosive substances like sulfuric acid, can result in severe physical and psychological harm. These injuries are challenging to manage due to difficulties in assessing burn depth and ongoing tissue damage beneath the eschar. This case report details a 21-year-old fem...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Burns Open |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468912225000203 |
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| author | Satbir S.G. Fatimah Mat Johar Ahmad Sukari Halim Wan Azman Wan Sulaiman |
| author_facet | Satbir S.G. Fatimah Mat Johar Ahmad Sukari Halim Wan Azman Wan Sulaiman |
| author_sort | Satbir S.G. |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Chemical burns, often caused by corrosive substances like sulfuric acid, can result in severe physical and psychological harm. These injuries are challenging to manage due to difficulties in assessing burn depth and ongoing tissue damage beneath the eschar. This case report details a 21-year-old female with 9 % total body surface area full-thickness chemical burns from a battery acid assault affecting her face, chest, limbs, and eyes. Initial treatment included irrigation and pH monitoring, followed by early tangential excision, hydrosurgery, and skin allograft application. While surface eschar pH normalized after irrigation, subeschar tissue remained acidic, indicating deeper damage. The patient developed hypertrophic scarring, reflecting ongoing tissue damage beyond the visible eschar. Persistent subeschar acidity suggests that current treatment protocols may not sufficiently address the penetration of corrosive substances, leading to prolonged inflammatory processes and unfavorable scarring outcomes. This underscores the need for improved strategies to prevent prolonged inflammation and unfavorable outcomes in chemical burn management. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c26b5439210a49babcb3fb2d218450cb |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2468-9122 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Burns Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-c26b5439210a49babcb3fb2d218450cb2025-08-20T03:29:18ZengElsevierBurns Open2468-91222025-07-011110041210.1016/j.burnso.2025.100412Unmasking the silent threat: deep tissue impacts of chemical burns – a case reportSatbir S.G.0Fatimah Mat Johar1Ahmad Sukari Halim2Wan Azman Wan Sulaiman3Reconstructive Sciences Unit, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, 16150 Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia; Hospital Pakar Universiti Sains Malaysia, Jalan Raja Perempuan Zainab II, Kubang Kerian, 16150 Kota Bharu, Kelantan, MalaysiaReconstructive Sciences Unit, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, 16150 Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia; Hospital Pakar Universiti Sains Malaysia, Jalan Raja Perempuan Zainab II, Kubang Kerian, 16150 Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia; Corresponding author at: Reconstructive Sciences Unit, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, 16150 Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia.Reconstructive Sciences Unit, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, 16150 Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia; Hospital Pakar Universiti Sains Malaysia, Jalan Raja Perempuan Zainab II, Kubang Kerian, 16150 Kota Bharu, Kelantan, MalaysiaReconstructive Sciences Unit, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, 16150 Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia; Hospital Pakar Universiti Sains Malaysia, Jalan Raja Perempuan Zainab II, Kubang Kerian, 16150 Kota Bharu, Kelantan, MalaysiaChemical burns, often caused by corrosive substances like sulfuric acid, can result in severe physical and psychological harm. These injuries are challenging to manage due to difficulties in assessing burn depth and ongoing tissue damage beneath the eschar. This case report details a 21-year-old female with 9 % total body surface area full-thickness chemical burns from a battery acid assault affecting her face, chest, limbs, and eyes. Initial treatment included irrigation and pH monitoring, followed by early tangential excision, hydrosurgery, and skin allograft application. While surface eschar pH normalized after irrigation, subeschar tissue remained acidic, indicating deeper damage. The patient developed hypertrophic scarring, reflecting ongoing tissue damage beyond the visible eschar. Persistent subeschar acidity suggests that current treatment protocols may not sufficiently address the penetration of corrosive substances, leading to prolonged inflammatory processes and unfavorable scarring outcomes. This underscores the need for improved strategies to prevent prolonged inflammation and unfavorable outcomes in chemical burn management.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468912225000203BurnsChemicalTherapeutic irrigationWound healingHypertrophic scar |
| spellingShingle | Satbir S.G. Fatimah Mat Johar Ahmad Sukari Halim Wan Azman Wan Sulaiman Unmasking the silent threat: deep tissue impacts of chemical burns – a case report Burns Open Burns Chemical Therapeutic irrigation Wound healing Hypertrophic scar |
| title | Unmasking the silent threat: deep tissue impacts of chemical burns – a case report |
| title_full | Unmasking the silent threat: deep tissue impacts of chemical burns – a case report |
| title_fullStr | Unmasking the silent threat: deep tissue impacts of chemical burns – a case report |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unmasking the silent threat: deep tissue impacts of chemical burns – a case report |
| title_short | Unmasking the silent threat: deep tissue impacts of chemical burns – a case report |
| title_sort | unmasking the silent threat deep tissue impacts of chemical burns a case report |
| topic | Burns Chemical Therapeutic irrigation Wound healing Hypertrophic scar |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468912225000203 |
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