Diphoterine(®) is an amphoteric irrigating agent for the treatment of
chemical burns and rapidly neutralises both
acids and
alkalis faster than water alone.
Diphoterine(®) is widely used as a
first aid agent in a wide range of industries globally. This is a retrospective review of the clinical use of
Diphoterine(®) on
chemical burns in an adult tertiary referral
burn centre, often with a delay of several hours after the injury. patients admitted with
chemical burns within 24 hours of the incident with an abnormal
wound pH or in
pain, were treated with
Diphoterine(®) spray. Over a 32-month period, 1,875
burn referrals were admitted of which 131 (7%) were
chemical burns.
Diphoterine(®) was used in 47 patients (36%). The male to female ratio for the 131 patients was 4:1. Alkaline
burns were the commonest (55%). patients who received
Diphoterine(®) were significantly younger (38 vs 43 years; p=0.05) and presented earlier (0.5 vs 2.55 days; p=0.004). There was a significant change in the
wound pH pre- and post-application of
Diphoterine(®), compared to patients who were treated with water irrigation only, with a pH change of 1.076 vs 0.4 (p <0.05). There was no significant difference in the time to healing, the length of
hospital stay, or need for surgery. in conclusion, based on our retrospective cohort,
Diphoterine(®) could be a valuable tool for use in hospital settings to neutralise both alkaline and
acid burns.