Chemical burns and acid attacks
- Finding
Acids form a crust that slows penetration; alkalis go deeper. In an acid attack, the face and eyes are the usual target.
What it is
Chemical burns are caused by acids, alkalis and other corrosive substances. Most are accidental, at home or at work. An acid attack is an intentional assault meant to disfigure: the attacker throws the substance at the face, so the head, face and eyes are the most affected areas. In Colombia it is above all a form of gender-based violence, often by a partner or former partner. The Penal Code (Ley 599 de 2000) makes injury with chemical agents, acid and similar substances a crime in article 116A, an article created by Ley 1773 de 2016. Resolución 4568 de 2014 of the Ministry of Health adopts the emergency care protocol for these victims.
How to tell it apart
- Versus a thermal burn: a chemical burn lacks typical blisters at first, follows the path of the liquid and can keep deepening hours later.
- Attack versus accident: an attack hits the face and upper body from the front, with defence injuries; a work or household accident usually affects the hands and legs.
- Self-inflicted chemical injury is rare: an accessible site, the history and the context suggest it.
- A systematic review found that half the victims were women and nearly nine in ten attackers were men; the victim usually knew the attacker.
How to recognise it
- A sharply edged lesion that follows the path of the liquid: run marks that flow down according to the victim's position.
- Splashes around the main lesion and burns on the hands and forearms from shielding.
- A firm crust, brown, grey or black depending on the acid; with alkalis, a soft, soapy, deeper lesion.
- Burned or discoloured clothing, sometimes with traces of the substance.
- In the eye: corneal clouding, limbal ischaemia and, in severe cases, loss of vision.
How it forms
- Acids denature proteins and form a coagulation barrier that slows penetration.
- Alkalis saponify membrane lipids and keep penetrating as long as contact lasts.
- Damage continues until the substance is removed or diluted: that is why immediate irrigation reduces the depth.
Acids versus alkalis
| Feature | Acids | Alkalis |
|---|---|---|
| Type of necrosis | Coagulative | Liquefactive (saponification) |
| Penetration | Limited by the crust | Deep and progressive |
| Appearance | Firm, dry crust | Soft, soapy lesion |
| Eye | Severe, usually less than alkalis | Very severe, rapid intraocular damage |
| Exception | Hydrofluoric acid penetrates like an alkali | Not applicable |
Next step: what to do and document
- Start irrigation with plenty of running water from first contact and request urgent ophthalmology review if the eye is injured; follow the emergency protocol of Resolución 4568 de 2014.
- Describe and photograph the extent, depth, site (above all the face), run marks and defence injuries, and repeat the record as the injury evolves.
- Keep the clothing and any remaining substance in resistant containers labelled as hazardous, under chain of custody.
- Notify SIVIGILA on form 875 as physical violence with the mechanism «burn by acid, alkali or corrosive substances», activate the care pathway for victims of gender-based violence and inform the authority if the victim cannot.
- Refer to a burns unit and to mental health; the later medico-legal assessment sets the incapacity and the disfigurement.
- Official text checked on 2026-11-13 at minsalud.gov.co and funcionpublica.gov.co (Gestor Normativo).
Common mistakes
- Delaying irrigation to look for a neutralising agent: plenty of water is the first step.
- Not examining the eyes or delaying ophthalmology review.
- Throwing away the clothing: it keeps the substance and the pattern of the attack.
- Not describing the disfigurement and its site on the face, which have criminal-law consequences.
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Why are alkali burns usually deeper than acid burns?
Because alkalis cause liquefactive necrosis and keep penetrating, while acids form a coagulation crust that slows penetration.
What is the first step for a chemical burn?
Irrigate at once with plenty of running water and, if the eye is injured, request urgent ophthalmology review.
Which parts of the body does an acid attack affect most?
The head, face and eyes; also the hands and forearms from defensive movements.
Which article of the Colombian Penal Code makes injury with chemical agents a crime, and which law created it?
Article 116A, created by Ley 1773 de 2016; the penalty is higher if there is disfigurement or permanent harm, and it rises if the disfigurement affects the face.
Elsewhere in DurgiPedia
- Chemical eye burn: irrigate first
- Chemical (toxic) cell injury: direct and after metabolism
- Mandatory reporting: public health, violence and abuse
Connections
Educational content on forensic and legal medicine; not legal advice and no substitute for the technical guides of Colombia's National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences. Laws change: each page links the official text and says when it was last checked. For a real case, follow the guide in force and ask the competent authority.
Sources: ABECÉ: Atención integral en salud a víctimas de ataques con ácidos o agentes químicos (Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social (Colombia), 2020); Ley 599 de 2000, Código Penal (art. 116A, added by Ley 1773 de 2016) (Función Pública, Gestor Normativo, 2000); Acid and Alkali Chemical Assault Burns (Vitriolage): A Systematic Review of Epidemiology (Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open, PubMed Central, 2025); The ocular surface chemical burns (Journal of Ophthalmology, PubMed Central, 2014); The acute management of acid assault burns: A pragmatic approach (Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery, PubMed Central, 2010).
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