[Blindness caused by an airbag in a minor accident].
OBJECTIVE
Installation of airbags has reduced the rate of fatal injuries in severe automobile accidents. We report, however, severe ocular injuries in a minor accident as the result of an airbag.


METHODS
A front passenger suffered a blunt ocular trauma of her right eye during a collision. The approaching speed was about 31 km/h. The maximum change of velocity in direction of the impact was 19 km/h. Color traces were found on the upper rim of the airbag, apparently from the patient's eye shadow.


RESULTS
In the emergency room, visual acuity was reduced to light perception. There was endothelial contusion, traumatic mydriasis, and lens subluxation. A sclopetarian retinopathy developed with a chorioretinal scar. Eight months after the accident visual acuity remained at light projection only.


CONCLUSIONS
The eye injuries had very probably been caused by the deploying airbag. Improvements are a better geometry of deployment (e.g., tethered airbags), release at higher impacts only, and "intelligent systems" with additional sensors to avoid potentially hazardous airbag inflation in minor accidents.
Universitäts-Augenklinik Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120 Heidelberg.
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D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000328:Adult; D017278:Air Bags / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001766:Blindness / Q000209:etiology*; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology*