The role of surgery in chromic acid burns: our experience with two patients

Two patients with chromic acid burns are described, one having a 10 per cent body surface area (BSA) burn, the other a 70 per cent BSA burn. Hexavalent chromium, being more mobile physiologically, is more toxic than trivalent chromium. Both, however, are readily absorbed through burned skin, and cause renal failure. For this reason, emergency excision of burned areas has been advocated as first line treatment. However, this is not always feasible as, for instance, when the size of the burn is large, and is of uncertain value when patients are referred late.