title: Firecracker injuries during Diwali festival: The epidemiology and impact of legislation in Delhi.
abstract: METHODS
  A hospital-based retrospective study of firecracker-related injuries was carried out at a government sponsored hospital in Delhi.
  
  
  METHODS
  1373 patients attended the emergency burn care out-patients clinic during 2002-2010 pre-Diwali, Diwali and post-Diwali days. Every year, a disaster management protocol is revoked during these 3 days under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was an increase in the number of patients of firecracker-related injuries in Delhi national capital region from the year 2002 to 2010, based on the hospital statistics. During the study period, the hospital received approximately one patient with firecracker-related injury per 100,000 population of the city. 73.02% of the victims were 5-30 years old. Majority (90.87%) of them sustained <5% total body surface area burn.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In spite of legislations and court orders, the number of patients is on the rise. The implementation agencies have to analyse the situation to find a way to control this preventable manmade accident. Websites, emails, SMS, social sites, etc. should be used for public education, apart from conventional methods of public awareness.
authors: Department of Burns, Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery, VM Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, India.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Tandon
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Agrawal
authors: R P
authors: RP
authors: Narayan
authors: V K
authors: VK
authors: Tiwari
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Prakash
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Kumar
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Sharma