Evaluation of comparative data on eye/skin chemical splash decontamination solutions: Effects on burn severity and healing

Objective: Chemical burns can be serious injuries. Traditional decontamination solutions such as water and normal saline can decrease the severity of chemical burns, but do not always prevent injuries. The objective of this study was to evaluate various decontamination solutions, including an active solution, Diphot´erine®. Methods: A review of published literature and other available information on eye/skin chemical splash decontamination with water, normal saline, or Diphot´erine® was conducted. Results: Recent in vivo studies in rats showed that when Diphot´erine®, was used instead of normal saline, the chemical burning process was stopped and tissue repair was improved. In rats exposed to hydrochloric acid, Diphot´erine® decontamination had significant beneficial effects on decreasing inflammation (IL-6), pain (substance P; -endorphin), and also lesion size. On an ocular burn due to a base, Diphot´erine® decreased the elevated pH in the anterior chamber and prevented the appearance of a stromal edema. Ex vivo, Diphot´erine®, as opposed to other common decontamination solutions, more efficaciously decreased the anterior chamber pH. A clinical study of ocular burns due to bases showed a significantly decreased time of reepithelisation in Grades 1 and 2 burns when Diphot´erine® was used as compared to normal saline. A case report of a Grade 4 ocular chemical burn showed that initial Diphot´erine® decontamination followed by appropriate topical treatment allowed progressive healing over 21 days and complete healing over 180 days without surgical intervention. Conclusion: Compared withwater or normal saline, recent studies of eye/skin chemical splash decontamination with Diphot´erine® demonstrate improved efficacy.