ISPB Annual Fireworks Survey for 2001

With the 4th of July holiday a little more than a month away, the sobering facts of fireworks eye-related injuries in our state should make people think twice before handling the devices. Please leave the fireworks to the professionals this holiday season.

For the past twenty-five years the ISPB has conducted its Illinois Annual Fireworks Survey, with the results, each year, being printed in The Visionary.

In June of 2001, the ISPB contacted hospital emergency rooms, ophthalmologists and optometrists in Illinois to assist in collecting pertinent data during the 4th of July holiday to be included in the survey.

Results of the 2001 survey revealed that 83 percent of the eye-related and bodily injuries caused by fire-works were to children and young adults through the age of 20 (up from 54 percent reported in 2000).

The age breakdown (averaged percentages) was:

One respondent reported treating an 81-year-old woman for acute conjunctivitis caused by a fireworks ash. As you can see, age is no protection from eye and bodily injuries caused by fireworks.

Other ISPB survey results showed that 65 percent of those treated were males, while 35 percent were females. Bottle rockets led the list in causing the most eye-related and bodily injuries with 35 percent, followed by sparklers with 12 percent (29 percent were unspecified). Other fireworks reported were cherry bombs, roman candles and professional displays.

As reported by the respondents, all the fireworks listed caused varying degrees of eye and bodily injuries, including cornea, eyelid, facial burns and abrasions, blunt trauma resulting in severe hyphema, subconjunctival hemorrhage, ruptured left globe of eye resulting in emergency surgery.

If you sustain a fireworks injury this 4th of July holiday, please seek appropriate medical attention as soon as possible from an eye care professional or at a hospital emergency room. Do not try to remove foreign bodies (such as a sparkler ash) with a “Q-tip” as that may cause even more damage to the cornea. Also, do not apply pressure on a traumatic injury to the eye. Rather, protect the eye by taping a paper cup over it and seek medical help immediately.

Have a Great 4th of July Holiday!
Remember the ISPB Slogan:

don’t be blinded by the danger of fireworks.

---

The Visionary, published as a service of the Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness,
is available upon request. The information contained in this issue,
taken from sources considered to be accurate,
does not replace the need for professional eye care consultations and treatments.

[top]