Ethyl chloride: functions, how to use, and possible side effects

Injuries can be said to be daily food for football players, whether they are amateurs or even professionals. One of the first aid for an injured leg due to miscalculated tackling by an opposing player is ethyl chloride. You may have watched it on TV when the medical team went into the green field to spray a drug on the injured player's body. Are you curious about what ethyl chloride is, how is it used, and how does it work so that players who previously moaned in pain can immediately get up and come back to compete?

What is ethyl chloride?

Ethyl chloride or ethyl chloride is a drug commonly used to prevent pain caused by injections or minor surgical operations. Ethyl chloride is also commonly used as a quick solution to treat minor wounds and relieve muscle pain due to sports sprains or sprains.

This effect can be achieved because ethyl chloride is a chemical that is cooling and causes a numbing effect so that the injury does not hurt for a while.

Ethyl chloride is available in bottles and cans. But what is commonly used by the soccer medical team is in the form of a spray can (aerosol). Ethyl chloride is available in the following dosages:

Fine Stream Spray - 3.5 oz
Medium Stream Spray - 3.5
Mist Spray - 3.5 oz
Medium Stream Spray - 3.5 oz

How to use ethyl chloride to treat foot injuries while playing ball

Ethyl chloride should only be used on the skin. However, this medicine should not be sprayed on deep open wounds or parts of mucous membranes such as the nose or mouth. You also shouldn't breathe in the vapors.

Even though it seems easy to just spray here and there, its use must be completely accurate and should not be arbitrary. Therefore drug spraying must be carried out by a professional medical team. The procedure will be done very quickly as the effect only lasts a few seconds to 1 minute.

To use it on minor injuries, first clean the injured area with an antiseptic. If using bottled ethyl chloride, turn the bottle upside down and spray it over the area for 3-7 seconds. If using the aerosol can version, position it upright and spray over the area for 4-10 seconds. Spray until the skin starts to turn white, and stops before the skin solidifies.

For more severe muscle soreness, apply a spray distance of 30-46 centimeters from the muscles, then spray in a sweeping motion at a rate of 10.2 centimeters per second until the entire muscle is covered from the trigger point to the area of pain. The muscles will be slowly stretched during this process until full movement returns and the pain subsides.

Are there any side effects of ethyl chloride?

Ethyl chloride generally does not have serious side effects. You can continue playing after the injury has been sprayed with medicine, but usually there will be follow-up treatment after the match to check the condition of their injury.

However, ethyl chloride spraying may cause allergic reactions, such as dizziness, skin discoloration, skin pain, rash, itching, swelling (especially on the face, tongue or throat), infection in the area that was sprayed, wounds that don't heal, so that it is difficult to breathe. Even so, not everyone will experience the following side effects. The medical team sees that the benefits still outweigh these risks, so the use will be continued if it is deemed necessary.