UNASSIGNED: To investigate the effect and timing of subconjunctival bevacizumab injection on inhibiting corneal neovascularization (CorNV) in patients after chemical burns.
UNASSIGNED: Patients with CorNV secondary to chemical burns were involved. Two subconjunctival injections of bevacizumab (2.5 mg/0.1 mL per involved quadrant) with an interval of 4 weeks were administered, and followed up a year. The area occupied by neovascular vessels (NA), accumulative neovascular length (NL), mean neovascular diameter (ND), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and intraocular pressure (IOP) were evaluated. Complication was also recorded.
UNASSIGNED: Eleven patients with CorNV were involved. Eight patients had a history of surgery (four had amniotic grafts, one had keratoplasty, and three had amniotic grafts and keratoplasty). Decreasing in NA, NL, and ND were statistically significant at each time point compared to the baseline (p < 0.01). CorNV that developed within 1 month was considerably regressed, and vessels with fibrovascular membranes were found to be narrower and shorter than pretreatment. BCVA improved in five patients (from one to five lines), remained unchanged in five patients, and decreased in one patient compared to pretreatment.
UNASSIGNED: Subconjunctival bevacizumab injection has a particular potential for the regression of CorNV, especially newly formed within 1 month in patients after chemical burns.

To evaluate long-term anatomical and functional outcomes of the MICOF keratoprosthesis to treat end-stage corneal blindness.
Retrospective review of consecutive clinical case series.
Between October 2000 and October 2015, at the Department of Ophthalmology of Chinese PLA General Hospital (PLAGH), a total of 132 eyes of 131 patients had undergone a MICOF keratoprosthesis implantation. Of those, 91 eyes of 90 patients were included in this study.
Preoperative information, surgical procedures, and postoperative data were collected for each included eye.
Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), keratoprosthesis retention, and significant postoperative complications were reported.
The most common indications for surgery were chemical or thermal burns (68.1%, 62 of 91 eyes) and explosive injury (12.1%, 11 of 91 eyes), followed by Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (10.0%, 9 of 91 eyes), Sjögren\'s syndrome (4.4%, 4 of 91 eyes), mucous membrane pemphigoid (3.3%, 3 of 91 eyes) and multi-penetrating keratoplasty failure (2.2%, 2 of 91 eyes). The mean follow-up duration was 8.38 ± 3.22 years (range: 5-17.25 years, median: 7.67 years). All patbients had a preoperative visual acuity of hand motions or worse. A MICOF keratoprosthesis significantly improved patients\' visual function with bilateral end-stage corneal blindness. Postoperative visual acuity improved to 20/200 or better in 41 eyes (45.1%, of 91 eyes) and to 20/100 or better in 32 eyes (35.2% of 91 eyes) at the last follow-up visit. Preexisting glaucoma was present in 17 (18.7% of 91 eyes). The most common postoperative complications were overgrowth of the surface mucosa (31.9%, 29 of 91 eyes), glaucoma (25.3%, 23 of 91 eyes), retro-prosthetic membrane (15.4%, 14 of 91 eyes), keratoprosthesis device extrusion (15.4%, 14 of 91 eyes), superficial tissue thinning (14.3%, 13 of 91 eyes), endophthalmitis (13.2%, 12 of 91 eyes), titanium frame exposure (13.2%, 12 of 91 eyes), optical cylinder ante-displacement (13.2%, 12 of 91 eyes), cornea melting (7.7%, 7 of 91 eyes), retinal detachment (6.6%, 6 of 91 eyes) and aqueous humour leakage (2.2%, 2 of 91 eyes). 84.6% (77 of 91 eyes) of the eyes retained their initial keratoprosthesis at the latest follow-up.
A MICOF keratoprosthesis is a reliable approach to rescue vision in end-stage corneal blinded patients and has better retention than a Boston Kpro TypeⅡ.

Purpose. This article attempts to elucidate the nature of chemicals causing major and minor skin burns, and their associated characterization across different industries, using Fujian provincial hospitals\' admission and outpatient department records. Materials and methods. Data were collected from the provincial hospitals of Fujian through a questionnaire, sent via email, from June 1, 2017 to November 30, 2017. The collected responses were statistically analyzed using SPSS version 19 through the interquartile range, median, Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher\'s exact test with two-tailed significance. Results and conclusions. The results of 306 collected responses reveal that the majority of skin burn cases are due to a lack of technical education and professional training among workers handling chemicals. This study suggests that management\'s effective supervision and governmental regulations may help to prevent chemical skin burns at work, and can further be controlled by hiring professional workers alongside providing training to them in chemical handling as well as using protective equipment and developing appropriate management policies to improve victims\' well-being and quality of life. Findings will help workers, doctors, hospitals, industries, government and other stakeholders to understand and control chemical hazards on site to minimize the risks of chemical skin burn incidents.

We investigated the urinary fluoride level in patients with hydrofluoric acid (HF) burns of different severities and explored the clinical significance of these levels in the diagnosis of acute HF burn.
Data from 260 patients with HF burns were collected from the Department of Burns, Zhejiang Quhua Hospital, between July 2006 and June 2016. According to burn severity, patients were divided into non-poisoning, mild poisoning, moderate poisoning, and severe poisoning groups. In addition, 25 healthy controls were recruited from fluorine chemical companies. The urinary fluoride level was measured using a fluoride-selective electrode and values were compared amongst groups. The urinary fluoride level was also measured periodically after exposure to investigate dynamic changes in the moderate and severe poisoning groups.
Urinary fluoride levels were 0.32-520.0mg/L (n=260) on admission to the emergency department, and 182 patients had levels >1.7mg/L. The levels in controls and the non-poisoning group were lower than in the other two groups, and increased significantly with an increase in severity. Thirty-three patients were admitted 4h after injury; of these patients, fluoride levels were significantly higher in those with severe poisoning than in those with moderate poisoning. Levels peaked 4h after injury and then dropped and returned to normal 6days after injury.
Urinary fluoride level can be used for the early diagnosis of HF burns and to determine the severity of fluoride poisoning, which is crucial for early treatment.

Hydrofluoric acid (HF), a dangerous inorganic acid, is widely used in various industries and in daily life. Chemical burns caused by HF exposure occur more frequently in some regions worldwide. It has been reported that some cases with HF burns can be lethal due to the hypertoxicity of HF. In this article, we present a case of a 24-year-old worker who suffered HF burns by 53% HF solution to his face, neck, and nasal cavity. This patient quickly developed electrolyte disturbance, that is, hypocalcemia, and hypopotassemia, and myocardial injury after exposure. Multiple measures had been taken to treat this patient, including fluid resuscitation, electrolyte replacement, timely wound treatment with neutralizers, and respiratory tract care. Moreover, continuous renal replacement therapy was also employed to remove fluoride in the circulatory system and rectify the electrolyte disturbance and acid-base imbalance. The patient smoothly pulled though and survived. High fluoride levels in the dialysate solution were confirmed, indicating that continuous renal replacement therapy is an effective and potentially lifesaving treatment for acute HF poisoning.

para-Chloronitrobenzene (p-CNB) is one of the important chemicals with high liposolubility and oxidizing properties. Heated p-CNB liquid can cause thermal injury by absorption over skin and wound and even methemoglobinemia by conversion of hemoglobin into methemoglobin. Severe methemoglobinemia is a life-threatening condition that demands immediate treatment. It is very rare for individuals to be injured by heated p-CNB, but they should be carefully attended to because of the peculiarities of this kind of injury. In the past 10 years, we received 5 patients who were injured by heated p-CNB. In addition to the intravenous administration of methylene blue, prompt and thorough wound management played a crucial role in the treatment of these critically ill patients, indicating the potential value of sufficient information for the clinical practitioners. The purpose of this article is to report our experience in the management of patients with thermal burns and p-CNB poisoning.

The objective of this study was to report clinical outcomes (functional and anatomic) of Boston keratoprosthesis (KPro) after severe chemical burns in Southern China.
Nineteen patients (19 eyes) that sustained severe chemical injuries in Southern China were enrolled in this retrospective study in our hospital between May 2009 and June 2015. KPro implantation in these patients was performed by a single experienced surgeon (Jiaqi Chen). The parameters evaluated in this study included diagnosis, comorbidity, preoperative and postoperative visual acuity (VA), complications, KPro retention, histological and immunohistochemical results of retroprosthetic membrane (RPM) and mucous membrane over the optic cylinder.
The mean age of the patients was 42.7 ± 11.3 years (range 29-62 years). All patients were male. Of the 19 included eyes, nine had acid burns, and 10 had alkali burns. Ten patients had previously undergone failed penetrating keratoplasty. The mean follow-up time was 41.3 ± 5.5 months (range 36-56 months). Preoperatively, the VA of the patients ranged from hand movement to light perception. Postoperatively, 17 patients (89.4%) achieved at least 20/200 once, and 7 patients (36.8%) achieved at least 20/200 and maintained this acuity until the last follow-up. The initial KPro was retained in 14 (73.6%) eyes and successfully replaced in one eye. Postoperative complications included RPM in 10 eyes, glaucoma in 6 eyes, retinal detachment in 2 eyes, corneal melting in 5 eyes, ischemic optic neuropathy in 1 eye, and overgrowth of the mucous membrane over the optical cylinder in 2 eyes. The histological and immunohistochemical results of the RPM showed granulomatous disorders and mucous membrane over the optic cylinder of conjunctival origin.
KPro surgery can restore useful vision in patients suffering from severe chemical burns. However, postoperative VA declined with the development of complications, and ocular surface disorders caused by the chemical burns were associated with a greater incidence of KPro retention failure. The retention rate was comparable in patients using ipsilateral autologous corneal tissue with allograft corneal tissue.
Science and Technology Foundation of Guangdong Province of China, Grant Number 2014A020212714.

BACKGROUND: Chemical burns occur frequently in western Zhejiang Province. This study documents the epidemiology of chemical burns in the region using burn data from a local specialized hospital. Results from this analysis will assist in the planning of prevention strategies for high-risk occupations and groups.
METHODS: A 10-year retrospective analysis was conducted for all patients with chemical burns admitted to the Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery from January 2004 to December 2013. Information obtained for each patient included demographics (gender, age, occupation and education), location of the burn, cause of the burn, and categories of chemicals. Data regarding the season of admittance, prehospital treatment, wound site/size (area, region, and depth), accompanying injuries, operations, length of hospital stay and mortality were also assessed.
RESULTS: A total of 690 patients (619 males, 71 females; average age: 30.6±12.4 years) were admitted to the department for chemical burns. Over the 10-year period, the incidence of chemical burns showed an increasing tendency. Chemical burns occurred most frequently in patients aged 20-59 years (94.79%). Most of the chemical burns were work-related, primarily in private enterprises (47.97%) and state-owned enterprises (24.93%). Operations (68.99%) and machine problems (17.26%) were the main causes of chemical burns in the workplace. With regard to burns caused by chemicals, most were caused by acids (72.01%), with hydrofluoric acid and sulphuric acid causing 51.45%. Most chemical burns occurred in the summer and autumn seasons (61.02%). The burn size was <10% of the total body surface area (TBSA) for 445 patients (64.49%), while only 26 patients (3.76%) had burns covering >40% TBSA. The most common burn sites were the upper extremities (31.57%), lower extremities (19.86%), and head and neck (28.83%). Most patients (581 (84.20%)) received water washing treatment on site immediately after exposure. The most common accompanying injuries included inhalation injury, ocular burns and digestive tract injury. The average hospital stay was 17.0±23.1 days (range 1-333 days). Surgery was performed in 146 patients (21.16%), and the overall mortality rate was 0.58%.
CONCLUSIONS: Chemical burns are preventable. The high morbidity of chemical burns in western Zhejiang Province is related to the industrial structure of the area. Governmental management in the fields of production, transportation, and utilization of chemicals could be improved. Workplaces have the responsibility to provide safe work environments and equipment, as well as occupational education and safety training for high-risk work groups.

Hydrofluoric acid is a dangerous inorganic acid that can cause local corrosion and systemic effects by ongoing absorption via the skin, mucosae, respiratory tract and digestive system. Recently, a serious toxic leak of low-concentration hydrofluoric acid solution occurred in the Pujiang area of Zhejiang Province, China. This accident resulted in 253 cases of chemical injury due to hydrofluoric acid exposure. Despite an immediate response by the local and provincial health-care system, as well as the local government, three people died due to acute poisoning and related complications. This article describes the events that took place leading to casualties as well as presenting the first-aid experience and the lessons learnt from this kind of mass injury.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate anti-angiogenic effects of polysulfated heparin endostatin (PSH-ES) on alkali burn induced corneal neovascularization (NV) in rabbits.
METHODS: An alkali burn was made on rabbit corneas to induce corneal NV in the right eye of 24 rabbits. One day after burn creation, a 0.2 mL subconjunctival injection of 50 µg/mL PSH-ES, 50 µg/mL recombinant endostatin (ES), or normal saline was administered every other day for a total of 14d (7 injections). Histology and immunohistochemisty were used to examine corneas. Corneal NV growth was evaluated as microvessel quantity and corneal vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression was measured by immunohistochemical assay.
RESULTS: Subconjunctival injection of ES and PSH-ES resulted in significant corneal NV suppression, but PSH-ES had a more powerful anti-angiogenic effect than ES. Mean VEGF concentration in PSH-ES treated corneas was significantly lower than in ES treated and saline treated corneas. Histological examination showed that corneas treated with either PSH-ES or ES had significantly fewer microvessels than eyes treated with saline. Additionally corneas treated with PSH-ES had significantly fewer microvessels than corneas treated with ES.
CONCLUSIONS: Both PSH-ES and recombinant ES effectively inhibit corneal NV induced by alkali burn. However, PSH-ES is a more powerful anti-angiogenic agent than ES. This research has the potential to provide a new treatment option for preventing and treating corneal NV.