title: [Total eclipse of the sun in August 11, 1999: a program of prevention and surveillance of ocular complications].
abstract: Watching directly at the sun without appropriate protection, particularly during a solar eclipse, can cause severe retinal injuries. On 11 August 1999, a total solar eclipse crossed France. The Direction Générale de la Santé implemented a prevention strategy. A formal agreement was developed with manufacturers and importers of protective glasses and more than 30 million glasses, conformed with safety standards, were distributed in France. Information campaign reach the whole population in France. In order to evaluate the impact of this campaign, The National Institute of Public Health in France implemented a nation-wide surveillance of ocular complications related to the eclipse. Information on patients was collected using a standardised questionnaire. The questionnaire was sent to the 5,600 private and public sector ophthalmologists practising in France and to five hundred hospital emergency units. A total of 147 patients were reported to have had a retinal injury associated with viewing the eclipse. Seventeen cases were severe (visual acuity < 2/10th) of whom 7 had bilateral injury. Forty-four per cent of patients were aged 15 to 29 years and 46% viewed the eclipse in three regions in the south of France which were sunny on 11th August. One hundred and six patients (67% aged 30 years and more) presented with keratitis. Thirty-six per cent occurred in 2 northern regions of France, which were overcast on the day. A hundred patients watched the whole eclipse without any protection, 74 reported to have removed their EC glasses, and 32 used non-appropriate devices. Only 4 patients presenting with retinal injury reported having used the EC glasses the whole time whilst viewing the eclipse. France is the only country in Europe to have implemented an exhaustive prospective surveillance of ocular injuries related to the solar eclipse. According to current data, the quality and availability of EC glasses did not contribute significantly to ocular injuries. Clinical and epidemiological studies are being conducted in order to further document the evolution of patients presenting with retinal injuries, the circumstances of observation, and their comprehension of preventive messages.
authors.affiliation: Institut de veille sanitaire, Saint-Maurice.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dixsaut
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Coulombier
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Malfait
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bodaghi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Espinoza
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D005126:Eye Burns / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005135:Eye Protective Devices / Q000600:supply & distribution; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012160:Retina / Q000528:radiation effects*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D019445:Solar Activity