According to the Emergency Medicine Journal, on June 2, a 7-year-old boy was hospitalized due to burns sustained from wet cement spilling all over his head and body.
A family member reported that while the boy was playing nearby and walking under a cement mixer, he accidentally got covered in cement.
Shortly after, the boy experienced pain and his skin turned red. He was taken to a healthcare facility and later transferred to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, for further evaluation of the burns.
Wet cement can cause burns if left on the skin for too long.
There, doctors noted that the boy had superficial burns on his head, neck, and torso, as reported by authors from Vanderbilt University. They also observed that the cement mixture had not been completely washed off, with particles still visible clinging to the boy’s skin and hair.
Never leave cement on the skin for too long as it can cause severe chemical burns.
This is because cement is primarily composed of calcium oxide, and when mixed with water, it becomes highly alkaline, meaning it has a high pH level.
The pH of a substance is measured on a scale from 0 to 14 – substances with low pH are acidic, while those with high pH are alkaline. The authors noted that wet cement can have a pH as high as 14.
Cement has a high pH level which can lead to chemical burns.
Contact with wet cement does not cause chemical burns immediately, but if someone is exposed for a prolonged period or if the material is left on the skin for an extended time, it can result in burns.
The authors indicated that the average time from exposure to wet cement to the appearance of burn symptoms is about 6 hours. Therefore, individuals may not realize that the cement has caused burns.
According to research, doctors often see this type of injury in adults working with cement. The authors noted that cases of wet cement burns are rarely seen in children.
The authors stated that treatment involves washing the skin thoroughly with plenty of water to remove wet cement. Doctors sometimes use other solutions, including polyethylene glycol, to wash the skin, but there is no evidence suggesting these are better alternatives to water. If the burns are severe, patients may require surgery.
In the current case, the boy’s skin was washed with water until all the cement was removed. “Fortunately, the patient involved in this case was decontaminated early enough and did not require surgical intervention,” the authors wrote. They reported that the boy was discharged and has made a full recovery.
