Intracameral phosphate buffer in alkali burns.

We perfused the eyes of albino rabbits with a phosphate buffer to see if the damage to cornea and lens produced by alkali might be reduced. The rabbits were divided into five groups: in the first (control) group undamaged eyes were perfused; in the other four the corneas were burned with sodium hydroxide. The second group was not treated; the remaining three were treated with buffer at once, after fifteen minutes and after thirty minutes. Our results showed that provided this regime is used within thirty minutes of exposure, the effects of the insult are reduced.