At 1630 hours you are called to a suburban residence for a 17-year-old male who is experiencing severe pain in his left arm. The patient reports that he was asked to clean up a spill at his workplace where he is a sheet metal worker apprentice. Approximately 5 hrs later he began to develop increasing throbbing pain in his hand and up his arm. He rates the pain at 10/10, appears uncomfortable from the pain. There is some mild redness of the nail beds of his left second, third and fourth fingers. Based on this clinical presentation, the most likely diagnosis is:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The symptoms described, including severe throbbing pain, redness of the nail beds, and the context of working with industrial materials, are indicative of a hydrofluoric acid burn. Hydrofluoric acid is used in various industries, including metalworking, and can cause deep, severe burns that may not be immediately apparent but result in intense pain hours later.

At 1630 Hours You Are Called to a Suburban Residence