Firework-related ocular trauma more likely in areas where fireworks are legal
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Key takeaways:
- Residents of areas where fireworks are legal were more likely to sustain firework-related ocular trauma.
- Firework-related injuries were more likely to be vision-threatening vs. non-firework-related injuries.
Local firework bans may be linked with a slight reduction in the odds of firework-related ocular trauma, according to research published in JAMA Ophthalmology.
“The demographic characteristics, type of injury and firework type associated with these injuries have been well-documented; firework-related ocular injuries primarily affect young males; frequently involve corneal burns, foreign bodies and hyphemas; and occur most commonly due to firecrackers, bottle rockets and sparklers,” Luke Harrison, BS, and colleagues at the University of Washington School of Medicine, wrote. “However, the association of legislation limiting the sale and use of fireworks with ocular injuries in the U.S. is less well-known.”
To investigate whether firework bans are associated with reduced odds of firework-related ocular trauma, Harrison and colleagues conducted an 8-year, case-control study of 230 patients with ocular trauma, who were seen at a trauma center in Seattle in the 2 weeks surrounding Independence Day. Of those, 94 patients (mean age, 25 years; 92% men) had firework-related injuries and 136 (mean age, 43 years; 77% men) had injuries not related to fireworks.
The researchers found that individuals living in areas where fireworks are legal were more likely to sustain firework-related ocular trauma compared with those living in areas with firework bans (OR = 2; P = .01). Furthermore, the odds of firework-related injuries were higher for male patients (OR = 3.3; P = .004) and those younger than 18 years (OR = 3.1; P < .001).
Firework-related injuries also were more likely to be vision-threatening than non-firework-related injuries (57% vs. 40%; OR = 2.1; P = .01). However, there was no significant difference in the proportion of vision-threatening firework-related injuries between areas where fireworks are legal and areas where fireworks are banned.
Of the firework-related injuries, 52% were corneal abrasions, 32% were hyphemia and 15% were corneal foreign bodies, whereas for non-firework-related injuries, 36% were orbital fractures, 29% were corneal abrasions and 17% were conjunctival or corneal lacerations.
“The design of this case-control study does not establish cause and effect but provides hypothesis-generating ideas to aid in future investigations of the association of legislation with the incidence of firework-related ocular injuries and vision threatening ocular trauma,” Harrison and colleagues wrote. “Further investigation could analyze statewide data or compare the data set with other states with or without firework restrictions.”
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