At about 10 pm on December 25, 2025, the Emergency Department of E Hospital (Hanoi) received a 47-year-old female patient admitted to the hospital in a state of severe chemical burns in the arm and corners of the mouth. The cause was determined to be due to the use of powder-like toilet-blowing chemicals, which exploded when in contact with water.
According to the patient's account, she previously bought a package of toilet flush powder widely advertised online for 20,000–40,000 VND/package. This product is introduced to have the ability to strongly break down substances that cause pipe obstruction such as excess fat, persistent waste. The main ingredients are highly corrosive chemicals such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide... which can react strongly when encountering water.
Following the instructions printed very small on the packaging, the patient poured chemicals directly into the toilet bowl. Immediately, a loud explosion occurred, accompanied by a column of water and chemical solution spraying strongly into the face (mouth corner) and both hands, causing a burning, intense pain. The patient soaked his hands in cold water and applied an oil of unknown origin at home, but the condition did not improve but became more severe, blisters and severe pain appeared, forcing him to be hospitalized for emergency treatment at night.
At the Emergency Department, doctors quickly cleaned the wound, treated the initial emergency and used necessary medication. Initial assessment showed that the patient was quite lucky when the chemical only shot into some areas of his hands and corners of his mouth, not spreading or causing deeper damage. After that, the patient was transferred to the Department of Immunology and Dermatology for further monitoring and intensive treatment.
BSCKII Dinh Thi Le Thanh - Deputy Head of the Department of Allergy, Immunology and Dermatology, E Hospital - said that through examination, it was recorded that the patient's left and right hand half of the back had many blisters, red skin, and severe pain. Fortunately, necrosis did not appear because the patient was hospitalized early. Doctors have chosen appropriate treatment regimens, including cleaning the wound, applying specialized burn medicine, using antibiotics, pain relievers and bandaging with moisturized gauze.
According to Dr. Dinh Thi Le Thanh, this is not a rare case. Over the past time, the Department of Allergy and Immunology and Dermatology has regularly received cases of chemical burns related to sewer powder, industrial detergents. These products all contain strong corrosive chemicals, which can cause serious damage when in contact with the skin, eyes, respiratory tract or digestive tract, especially when exposed to high concentrations or for a long time.
Doctors recommend that when suffering from chemical burns, it is necessary to immediately wash the damaged area under a clean water hose continuously for 10-20 minutes, if it sticks to the eyes, it must be washed for at least 20 minutes before going to the hospital. Absolutely do not wipe with a towel, cotton gauze or arbitrarily apply medicines, oil, or toothpaste. Quickly remove chemical-contaminated clothes, cover the burn with a clean bandage and take the patient to a medical facility as soon as possible. People are also warned not to arbitrarily use chemicals to clear sewers and toilets because of the risk of severe burns, necrosis and long-term sequelae; when incidents occur, they should ask professional workers to handle them.
