An analysis of ocular firecracker injuries in five consecutive years during a festive season in a tertiary eye care hospital in South India

ABSTRACT

Background: To analyse the presentation of ocular firecracker injuries during a festival celebration in five consecutive years.

Methods: We retrospectively analysed 541 patients with cracker injuries who presented to a tertiary eye care hospital during the fortnight of Deepavali for five consecutive years. The parameters studied were the age and sex, environmental factors, type of firework, eye involved and whether the involved person was a passer-by or actively involved.

Results: Children up to 15 years, males and bystanders were seen to be affected more frequently. The most common firework involved was the flower pots.

Conclusions: Fire cracker related ocular injuries are an important public health problem in India where celebrations are not complete without lighting crackers. This study brings to light the importance of safety measures and emphasises the need for restrictive firework legislation which has proved to reduce such injuries in countries across the world.

KEYWORDS:

• Ocular injuries
• firecracker
• Deepavali
• ocular trauma
• fireworks
• ocular burns

Declaration of interests

All authors were affiliated with the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Chennai during the study period when significant work on this study was carried out. The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.