I’ve linked a medical article on how to treat someone who has been pepper sprayed. I think this important for anyone to know. Even if you’re not protesting, in today’s climate you never know when this will come in handy. The street, your car, your job, your church, your kid’s daycare, your home. Anything appears to be fair game. I’m going to make sure I have a few bottles of water in my car from now on.
“Management of patients exposed to riot control agents should begin with the customary resuscitative priorities of
securing the airway, ensuring adequate oxygenation and ventilation, and supporting hemodynamics.
The face should be wiped with a moist towel to remove any particles before being washed. Copious water irrigation with soap should be used to remove contaminants. If there is significant skin breakdown, saline irrigation is the best choice. Other solutions (milk, baby shampoo, antacids) have been investigated and have had mixed data regarding their benefit, but do no further harm. Amphoteric chelating irrigation fluid in research models appears to be effective in decontaminating a variety of chemical exposures to the skin or eyes but is generally not available in many clinical settings, and decontamination with water should not be delayed while searching for alternative decontamination fluids.
Management of ocular exposures involves copious irrigation with water or saline. Irrigation should occur for at least 10 to 20 minutes but can continue longer if the patient continues to have ocular symptoms.
Remove contact lenses before irrigation. A topical anesthetic should be used to reduce pain and blepharospasm, and improve irrigation. With CS exposures,
soap or shampoo can be added to irrigation since CS is sparingly soluble in water. Amphoteric chelating irrigation fluid has also been noted to be effective for ocular irrigation and may prevent further chemical injuries to the eye. In patients with severe chemical injuries, systemic corticosteroids can reduce inflammation. For significant corneal injuries, there should be consultation with ophthalmology.”
