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If the patient is unable to open their eyes (blepharospasm) for an exam, the best treatment option is to continue to gently flush the eyes with sterile water of continuous flowing water for 10-15 minutes and then re-check. Some patients feel that the water reactivates the OC and rather sit in front of a fan or just face into the wind. In either case, the chemical agent has to be removed from the surface of the eye and then the irritation has to subside.
Copious irrigation with water dilutes and removes a large majority of the chemical. A common way to remember this is "the solution to the pollution is dilution." The EMS responder will need to take into consideration the environment as well. If there is extreme cold, warm water or saline will need to be used and / or the patient will need to be in a warm controlled environment. [10] |