Chemical burn - First Aid Treatment

Dear Ask The Doctor: Hi While cleaning the outside of our home my husband has burnt the back of his hand with the bleach solution he was using. It is red but not blistered. What treatment should we apply?

Dear Lynne: Chemical like bleach lead to a skin reaction causing burning and inflammation of the area. The first aid measures that your husband can take are :

i) Put hand under running water for 10-15 minutes to flush the chemicals from the skin. Remove any clothing that has come into contact with the bleach.

ii)  Wrap the affected are with sterile dressing to prevent infection.

iii) Topical antibiotics like silver sulfadiazine/ bacitracin / nemycin may be applied to prevent infections.

iv) NSAIDS like advil or motrin for pain control

Do not apply any household remedy or ointment and do not disturb blisters if they appear.