Eye SchoolUrgent

This site provides general eye-health education. It cannot replace individual assessment by a registered doctor, and does not offer personal diagnosis, prescriptions, bookings, sales or referrals.

If translations differ or are incomplete, the Traditional Chinese (zh-Hant) text on this site prevails.

Cornea and ocular surface · AQ

Chemical eye injury

Immediate irrigation · A&E · specialty staging and class discussion

Last reviewed: 2026-09-05 · 潘家健醫生

Emergency · go to A&ESudden vision loss, a curtain, severe pain with vomiting, penetrating injury or chemical splash: go to A&E now. If you cannot get there: call 999. For chemicals, irrigate first with plenty of water. For penetrating injury / ruptured globe: do not press or self-irrigate (see urgent page).Sudden vision loss, a curtain, or sudden blindness: do not drive yourself to A&E — arrange a lift or call 999.If you cannot get there: call 999

Key points

  • Chemical splash: first priority is immediate copious irrigation, then A&E.
  • Irrigate while going to A&E; if you cannot travel: call 999.
  • Do not delay irrigation waiting for a private clinic; do not attempt acid–base neutralisation experiments at home.
  • Bring photos of the container/label and timing of irrigation to A&E.

Do this first: copious irrigation

  1. Irrigate at once with plenty of clean water or saline for at least 20–30 minutes, lids open. Keep irrigating on the way if you can. You do not need a special irrigating solution first.
  2. Remove contact lenses if easy; do not interrupt irrigation for long just to remove a lens.
  3. Do not use neutralising agents, oils, vinegar/baking soda “to try first”, or leftover eye drops as first aid. Do not wait for a private clinic to open before irrigating.
  4. Go to A&E while irrigating. If you cannot get there: call 999. Bring the chemical name if known.

You do not need to measure pH before irrigating. No home test strips does not delay flushing; measurement belongs in hospital.

What it is

Chemical splash can damage the conjunctiva and cornea within minutes; severe cases reach deeper tissue. First priority is immediate copious irrigation, then A&E. Public education only — not a home acid–base neutralisation experiment, and not a booking page.

What A&E / a specialist may do (concepts)

  • Continue irrigation, examine and clear residual particles; assess the epithelium, conjunctiva and anterior segment
  • In clinic, acid–base monitoring may guide whether irrigation is enough — patients are not required to own strips before they may flush
  • Lime, cement and solid particles that remain can keep injuring the eye; removing debris is clinical care — do not scrape the cornea hard yourself
  • Staging language (for example a doctor’s corneal injury grade or limbal ischaemia) is for prognosis and follow-up — not a self-score

Want to know more: alkali versus acid

  • Alkalis often penetrate tissue more readily and damage can deepen over time
  • Acids more often denature surface protein and penetrate less deeply — they can still be severe; do not take them lightly
  • A few chemicals are exceptions; A&E decides how to manage them. For you the action is the same: irrigate now, go now

After A&E, classes a specialist may discuss (not a medicine list)

  1. Antibiotic class: to reduce infection risk — prescribed by a doctor; no brand names or times-a-day schedules here
  2. Steroid class: whether and when depends on how the corneal surface is healing — specialty decision
  3. Preservative-free lubricants: protect the surface and ease dryness
  4. Cycloplegic / mydriatic class: ease spasm and synechia risk — form and dose by the doctor

For severe cases, specialists may discuss amniotic membrane placement/graft and later reconstruction for limbal stem-cell deficiency (LSCD). Follow specialty instructions.

Longer-term issues that may follow

  • Conjunctival scarring, dry eye, an unstable ocular surface
  • Secondary glaucoma, cataract, corneal opacity
  • Limbal stem-cell deficiency needing long specialty follow-up

Surface and dry-eye education sits under Cornea and ocular surface and related topics; pressure and glaucoma under the glaucoma pages.

Common questions

What can I irrigate with at home or on site? Shower, tap, bottled water or drinking water all work; do not spend time hunting for saline.

How do I keep irrigating on the way? Take a large bottle of water in the car or ambulance and keep pouring on the eye.

What to bring to A&E? A photo of the container or label; an MSDS/SDS if available; when the splash happened and how long you have irrigated; for workplace injury, notify a supervisor if you can.

Why not wait for a private clinic? A&E / emergency eye care can keep irrigating and remove residue; waiting for a clinic to open delays flushing.

Chemical splash: irrigate with lots of water for 20–30 minutes first, go to A&E while irrigating. Sudden vision drop or sudden blindness, or severe pain with headache and vomiting: go to A&E now. This page lists no clinic phones, does not compare clinics, and is not a surgery booking menu; this site does not refer.

This is general medical information, not a diagnosis, and cannot replace an in-person consultation with a registered ophthalmologist, refraction, or a dilated fundus exam. It is not advice to use any medicine or undergo any procedure. Medicines (including off-label use), laser or surgery must be decided by a registered doctor after examination, according to indications and Hong Kong registration. Figures from the literature are published averages, not any clinic’s results. This site does not book, prescribe or refer. Do not change treatment on your own.