Background: Diphoterine is a commercially available amphoteric, hypertonic, chelating solution used to decontaminate and irrigate chemical splashes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the implementation of Diphoterine at three alumina refineries. This is the largest case series reported to date.
Methods: One hundred eighty cases of alkali splashes to the skin were evaluated clinically. Two groups were compared; those who had applied Diphoterine first and those who had applied water first.
Results: There were no signs of chemical burn in 52.9% of the group who applied Diphoterine first compared with 21.4% of the group who applied water first. Only 7.9% of the group who applied Diphoterine first had blisters or more severe signs compared with 23.8% of the group who applied water first. The differences were statistically significant (P < 0.001). After implementation of Diphoterine the “first aid” injury rate for chemical burns fell 24.7% (95% CI 0.5–43.0%).
Conclusions: Applying Diphoterine first was associated with significantly better outcomes following alkali skin splashes than applying water first.
Uvod: Diphoterine je komercialno dostopna amfoterna, hipertonična, kelirajoča raztopina, ki je namenjena dekontaminaciji in izpiranju politij s kemikalijami. Namen raziskave je bil preveriti koristnost Diphoterina v treh tovarnah, kjer proizvajajo aluminij.
Metode: V raziskavo smo vključili 180 delavcev, ki so se polili po koži z bazično tekočino. V raziskavi smo primerjali skupino delavcev, ki je za izpiranje kože uporabila Diphoterine, s skupino delavcev, ki je kožo izprala z vodo.
Rezultati: Brez znakov kemične opekline je bilo 52.9% delavcev, ki za izpiranje uporabili Diphoterine, medtem ko je bilo brez znakov kemične opekline le 21.4% delavcev, ki so kožo izprali z vodo. Kožne mehurje ali resnejšo kemično opeklino je imelo le 7.9% delavcev, ki so kožo izprali z Diphoterinom. V skupini delavcev, ki si je kožo izprala z vodo pa je kar 23.8%. delavcev imelo kožne mehurje ali še resnejšo kemično opeklino. Rezlika med skupinama delavcev je bila statistično značilna (p<0.001). Po uvedbi Diphoterina za izpiranje kože in oči v sklopu prve pomoči pri politjih s kemikalijami se je pogostnost kemičnih opeklin znižala za 24.7% (95% CI 0.5-43.0).
Zaključek: Izpiranje z Diphoterinom uspešneje prepreči nastanek kemične opekline pri politju z bazično raztopino kot izpiranje z vodo.