Nitrogen burn

Nitrogen is dangerous because it can cause severe burns when it comes into contact with the skin. If it gets inside, it can cause serious burns to the stomach, mucous membranes, and respiratory tract (if vapors are inhaled). Toxic substances spread throughout the body through the circulatory system. Therefore, if a nitrogen burn has been received, first aid must be provided quickly to the victim.

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Causes nitrogen burn

A nitrogen burn is a chemical injury - it occurs as a result of the traumatic effect of acids on tissue. Typically, such injuries occur as a result of failure to comply with safety precautions that are provided in case of working with this chemical substance, and also due to accidents at work or at home. They can also occur as a result of a suicide attempt.

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Pathogenesis

After getting on the skin in liquid or drop form, nitric acid leaves behind a dry scab, which has a yellow-green tint due to the xanthoprotein reaction. Coagulation necrosis develops in the tissues, penetrating the papillary layer of the dermis, and in some cases even deeper. Around this part of the skin there is an area where swelling and hyperemia develop. Such a burn heals for quite a long time - in severe cases, this process can last 40-50 days, and then a scar forms in this place.

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Symptoms nitrogen burn

The symptoms of nitrogen burns are as follows: a hard, dried crust with clear boundaries only in the burn area, thus standing out against the background of healthy skin. From a nitrogen burn, the skin at the site of the lesion acquires a light shade of yellow-green or yellow-brown. It should be noted that acid burns are usually superficial.

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Stages

Depending on the severity of the burn, the following stages can be distinguished:

• Development of erythema;
• Formation of a bubble;
• Skin neurosis;
• The consequences of negative impacts are not only visible on the skin.

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Complications and consequences

Intoxication from exposure to nitrogen can have quite serious consequences. For example, if vapors of the substance get into the eyes, changes in the cornea may begin, and ectropion may appear. After a skin burn, scars or marks may remain on it. Nitrogen poisoning can also affect the nervous system - in the form of simple disorders or psychosis.

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Differential diagnosis

It is necessary to conduct differential diagnostics of burns with alkalis and acids. To do this, you need to pay attention to the following signs:

• When an acid burn occurs, a protein coagulation reaction occurs, resulting in the formation of a scab that prevents the acid from penetrating into the tissues located deeper under the skin;
• Alkali burns are accompanied by protein hydrolysis, which does not cause a scab to form, but rather causes deeper tissue damage.

You can differentiate a nitrogen burn from burns from other acids by the color of the skin at the site of the injury.

Treatment nitrogen burn

If nitric acid gets on your skin, you need to quickly provide first aid. This is done as follows: the affected area needs to be held under water for about 15 minutes. Then you need to use a soda solution to wash the skin again. If the burn is mild, this should be enough, but if the severity is quite high, you need to see a doctor.

Folk remedies

There are several folk remedies that can be used as first aid and can speed up the healing of the skin in case of nitrogen burns.

Applications using raw potatoes: grate the potatoes, apply the resulting mass to the burn site and hold for 5-7 minutes. This method accelerates tissue and local immunity recovery, and also removes inflammation.

Green tea cooled to a temperature of 13-15 ^o C, which is used as a tonic and cooling agent.

Fresh aloe juice - a gauze bandage soaked in it should be applied to the injured area for 10 minutes. Do not fix it with a bandage so as not to damage the skin. A similar procedure can be carried out using calendula tincture instead of aloe.

Grind burdock leaf or plantain into a pulp, then hold the mixture on the burn site for 10 minutes.

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Prevention

As a preventive measure, when working with nitric acid, you should follow safety rules: wear a gas mask and special clothing, do not neglect personal hygiene. It is also important that workplaces are well ventilated - to eliminate the risk of inhaling toxic fumes. In addition, you must carefully monitor that there is no acid spill.

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Forecast

A nitrogen burn can have varying degrees of damage, area and localization - this is what determines the prognosis for such an injury. It also depends on the age of the victim, the state of his health and body, the circumstances that accompanied the burn, and in addition to this, the possible development of infectious complications in the future.