ABSTRACT
Cement burn is a common cause of chemical burns in France. They usually need surgical treatment. This retrospective study was performed among 49 patients, aged 21-71 years, admitted to the St Joseph-St Luc Hospital in Lyon, France. Patients were mainly male, fairly young (mean 44 years) and had a professional activity, although burns usually occurred at home. Burns were deep, on the lower limbs, and were not extensive (3% TBS). All but one patient needed grafting, performed on d13. LOS was eight days. Seven patients had to be admitted to a rehabilitation centre afterwards. This study confirms the local seriousness of cement burns. It emphasises their socio-economic impact since they occur in job-active patients. Education on cement hazards should be developed, targeting this population, who are seldom building professionals. Current regulations, classifying cement as an 'irritant', do not address the causticity of wet cement and should be amended.