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Pediatric eye injuries related to nonpowder guns increase nearly 170%
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Eye injuries sustained by children from sports or recreational activities decreased slightly from 1990 to 2012; however, injuries caused by nonpowder gun use increased by 168.8%, according to a study published in Pediatrics.
“Eye injuries associated with sports and recreation are common but preventable,” Gary A. Smith, MD, DrPH, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, told Infectious Diseases in Children. “These injuries happen in an instant and can have significant life-long effects. Increased prevention efforts are needed, especially for eye injuries associated with nonpowder guns.”
To examine the source of sports- and recreation-related eye injuries that are treated in U.S. EDs and their characteristics, the researchers conducted a retrospective study that assessed data collected from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. All children included in the study were aged 17 years or younger and were treated for sports- or recreation-related eye injuries in EDs between 1990 and 2012.
Approximately 441,800 children were treated for sports- and recreation-related eye injuries in EDs in the U.S. (95% CI, 378,868-504,733; mean = 26.9 per 100,000). Males most frequently presented with these injuries and made up three-fourths of the patients treated, and eye injuries were seen most in children between the ages of 10 to 14 and 15 to 17.
The majority of injuries sustained to the eye were able to be treated and resulted in discharge from the ED (94.6%), and the most common injuries included corneal abrasion (27.1%), conjunctivitis (10.0%) and foreign body in the eye (8.5%). Of the injuries sustained, 4.7% required hospitalization.
Activities and sports that frequently contributed to pediatric injuries were basketball (15.9%), baseball and softball (15.2%) and nonpowder gun use (10.6%). Although the overall number of injuries decreased minimally between 1990 and 2012, the amount of injuries contributable to nonpowder gun use increased by 168.8%. Furthermore, 48.5% of hospitalizations related to sports- and recreation-related eye injuries were caused by nonpowder guns.
“Health care providers can counsel parents and children about the prevention of sports- and recreation-related eye injuries,” Smith said. “It is important for children to participate in sports, but there is a need for increased use of appropriate eye protection in some sports. In some cases, this may require a culture change within the sport so that children are expected to use appropriate eye protection.” – by Katherine Bortz
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
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