title: Prognostic factors and visual outcome for fireworks-related burns during spring festival in South China.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical features and the visual results of fireworks-related ocular burn injuries and to determine the prognostic factors. The authors conducted a prospective observational study of 53 eyes of 46 consecutive patients with fireworks-related ocular injury who visited Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center during the Spring Festival in Southern China. Eyes were graded using an ocular trauma classification system, which included age of the patient. Patients were followed up for a minimum of 5 months. Best-corrected visual acuity at the last follow-up was considered the final visual outcome. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 13.0 (SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL). Results of statistical tests were considered statistically significant for P < .05. Almost all patients (89.1%) were male with a mean age of 14.3 ± 8.5 years. There was preponderance of young patients, with 63.0% (29) of the patients being younger than 15 years. In addition to their ocular injuries, 23 patients (50.0%) also had eyelid and/or facial burns. The most common initial anterior segment injuries were open-globe injuries (42, 79.3%), conjunctival burns (16, 30.2%), and foreign bodies (18, 34.0%). Others were traumatic cataract, lens subluxation and dislocation, and vitreous hemorrhage. Management after first aid included pars plana vitrectomy (9, 17.0%), aspiration of cataract (18, 34.0%), retinal reattachment (8, 15.1%), and enucleation. Amniotic membrane grafts were used in 11 patients (20.8%) with serious conjunctiva burns and corneal contusions and abrasions who were thought to have a good prognosis. Fireworks-related ocular injuries included a variety of clinical manifestations. Examinations such as B scan, optical coherence tomography, and ultrasound biomicroscopy helped to make a correct diagnosis and plan further treatment. Fireworks-related ocular injuries commonly affect young male subjects of Southern China. Visual outcomes were frequently poor and visually devastating. Laws should be passed to forbid the personal use of fireworks in China, and public education on the sale and use of fireworks should be increased.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Xuanwei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Xialin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.forename: Shuhong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Yizhi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D015331:Cohort Studies; D053834:Explosive Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D005126:Eye Burns / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005390:Fires; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006693:Holidays; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013997:Time Factors; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D053834:Explosive Agents