Boy, 7, suffers burns from wet cement
A boy has been hospitalised after he suffered burns from wet cement.
The boy, 7, from Nashville in the US state of Tennessee, was taken to hospital after walking under a cement dispenser being run by a family member, according to his case in The Journal of Emergency Medicine.
His skin became irritated and began turning red. The boy was taken to a healthcare facility and his skin was washed with polyethylene glycol to remove any excess cement.
He was then transferred to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for further treatment. Doctors noted he had superficial first-degree burns on his head, neck and torso.
“Burn surgery was consulted for additional evaluation,” researchers wrote.
Fortunately, in the boy’s case, he required no further treatment and made a full recovery at home.
Wet cement causes burns
Cement Australia warns people wet cement can be corrosive and to avoid contact with hands and eyes either by wearing goggles, gloves or both.
The US’s National Poison Center also warns cement can cause “caustic injury”.
“Some of the worst outcomes occur when cement gets into or seeps through boots, gloves, or clothing,” a section on the centre’s site reads.
“By the time the person is aware of this, significant burns to the skin could have already occurred. The longer the cement stays on the skin, the more damaging the burn can be.
“Even after washing the cement off, the alkaline burn usually gets worse before it gets better. In severe cases of cement burn of the skin, the burn can extend deeper into tissues beneath the skin to damage muscle and even bone.”
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
