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.