Blisters can cause skin blisters and were used as chemical warfare agents in WWI. They can be highly corrosive and dangerous, causing damage to the skin, windpipe, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract. Chemotherapy drugs can also cause blisters, which are tightly controlled. Treatment for blister exposure varies depending on the situation.
A blister is something that is capable of raising skin blisters on contact. Blisters were famously used during World War I as chemical warfare agents, with armies using compounds such as mustard gas to disable each other. Some vesicants are classified solely as chemical agents, with no known utility. Others may be useful in chemical manufacturing, and some drugs may actually act as vesicants. It is important to avoid contact with blisters whenever possible because they are highly corrosive and can be extremely dangerous.
When human skin is exposed to a blister, a rapid chemical reaction occurs, triggering the formation of a water bubble. The blister can be quite large and often several blisters clump together. Exposure is also usually very painful due to the damage to the skin. The blisters will remain for several days, resolving and disappearing, assuming the patient does not sustain further injury from the chemical exposure. The skin can be scarred or irritated and an infection can develop if the patient is not well cared for and kept in a clean environment.
Sometimes, people inhale blisters. This can cause serious damage to the windpipe and lungs, as the same reaction that occurs on the surface of the skin can also occur inside the body. The patient may develop difficulty breathing and often coughs heavily on inhalation. Consuming blistering agents can cause damage to the gastrointestinal tract, characterized by diarrhea and vomiting. Prolonged exposure or exposure to a highly efficient vesicant can result in death.
In the case of drugs, most vesicants are chemotherapy agents. Chemotherapy is used in the treatment of cancer and involves aggressively attacking cells to prevent the cancer from spreading and to encourage it to shrink. These drugs are tightly controlled because they are highly toxic. Sometimes, a situation known as extravasation occurs, in which chemotherapy drugs leak out of an intravenous needle and into the surrounding skin, causing a blistering reaction when the drugs interact with the skin.
Care for someone who has been exposed to a blister varies depending on the blister and the environment. People exposed to vesicants used in hospital and clinical settings usually receive prompt attention because exposure is quickly noticed and can be addressed by a doctor or nurse. Persons exposed to chemical blisters in environments such as chemical plants should follow emergency exposure protocol and seek immediate medical attention.
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