How to Treat a Hydrofluoric Acid Burn

Hydrofluoric acid (HF) burns are serious, and it's important to seek medical attention immediately after a burn even if you don't feel symptoms. Learning about hydrofluoric acid burns and how to treat them can decrease the damage and help keep you safe in the future.

1. Recognize the effects of hydrofluoric acid.

Hydrofluoric acid (HF) contact with skin can cause severe chemical burns. Direct contact with HF can cause major damage to your skin tissue, as HF is a corrosive substance that burns. It can also penetrate the skin and cause even further damage under the skin.

• This can be even worse, depending on the concentration of the acid and the length of exposure.

  
  

• No matter the concentration, however, the burns may cause a deeper penetration of the underlying skin tissue after a longer time of detection. Any increased time can allow for a burn to become more severe.

  
  

2. Distinguish the categories of burn.

There are 3 categories of HF burns. A burn that is grade 1 appears with white burn mark and has surrounding painful redness along the skin.

• A burn that is grade 2 appears with a white burn mark and surrounding painful redness, but also demonstrates blistering and edema, which is leakage of intra-cellular fluids outside of damaged cellular tissue.

  
  

• A burn that is grade 3 appears in the same way as grade 2, with the addition of blistering, and necrosis, which is cell tissue death.

  
  

• Cell tissue death is seen as discolored blue or black tissue around the burn.

  
  

3. Remove all contaminated clothing immediately.

If there is any part of your clothing that has been saturated with HF, remove it immediately from your body or any portion of your skin. This will prevent more acid from touching the skin, as well as stop continued exposure that may cause more serious burning.

• Make sure that the clothing comes into contact with as little skin as possible as it is removed. Do not touch clothing directly with bare skin if you believe it has also been contaminated with HF.

  
  

• Use gloves, masks, and gowns, if possible.

  
  

4. Flush the burned area.

If you come into contact with HF, flush the burned area under a safety shower or suitable hose. Orient the burned area so that water runs down and off your skin. Make sure that the water coming into contact with the affected area does not come into contact with any other part of your body.

• This constant flow of cool water should not overly cold but cool enough to soothe the burn.

  
  

• Continue flushing the area for fifteen or more minutes.