Fireworks-Related Injuries to Children

Abstract

ABSTRACT. An estimated 8500 individuals, approximately 45% of them children younger than 15 years, were treated in US hospital emergency departments during 1999 for fireworks-related injuries. The hands (40%), eyes (20%), and head and face (20%) are the body areas most often involved. Approximately one third of eye injuries from fireworks result in permanent blindness. During 1999, 16 people died as a result of injuries associated with fireworks. Every type of legally available consumer (socalled "safe and sane") firework has been associated with serious injury or death. In 1997, 20 100 fires were caused by fireworks, resulting in $22.7 million in direct property damage. Fireworks typically cause more fires in the United States on the Fourth of July than all other causes of fire combined on that day. Pediatricians should educate parents, children, community leaders, and others about the dangers of fireworks.

The liberalization of fireworks legislation and its effects on firework-related injuries in West Virginia

“…Thus, these findings are similar, but not as pronounced, as those identified in the present study [10]. Virtually all other studies conducted in the U.S. regarding fireworks injuries have been descriptive in nature; moreover, most have primarily focused on injuries incurred by pediatric patients [3,4,[6][7][8][9]24]. These studies concur that males sustain fireworks-related injuries more often than females and that these injuries often occur around national holidays, particularly the Fourth of July [3,4,[6][7][8][9].…”

“…Virtually all other studies conducted in the U.S. regarding fireworks injuries have been descriptive in nature; moreover, most have primarily focused on injuries incurred by pediatric patients [3,4,[6][7][8][9]24]. These studies concur that males sustain fireworks-related injuries more often than females and that these injuries often occur around national holidays, particularly the Fourth of July [3,4,[6][7][8][9]. This coincides with the findings from the present analysis as well even though fireworks can be sold year round in West Virginia.…”

“…Another study reported that the number of firework-related injuries treated at emergency departments in the U.S. to be 97,562 between 2000 and 2010 [4] Among epidemiologic studies conducted within the U. S, most studies concur that males and children, especially those between 10 and 14 years of age, are the most commonly affected demographic groups [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. While fatalities are infrequent, burns, contusions, and lacerations, mainly to the hands, arms, and eyes, are commonplace [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10].…”

Spectrum of ocular firework injuries in children: A 5-year retrospective study during a festive season in Southern India

“…Ocular injuries constitute about 20% of firework injuries. [ 1 2 ] Trauma is one of the major causes of unilateral avoidable blindness in children. [ 3 4 5 ] It is estimated that worldwide 160,000–280,000 children under the age of 15 years sustain ocular injuries every year which require inpatient care.…”

Temporal Changes in Air Quality during a Festival Season in Kannur, India

“…PM10 contains trace elements such as As, Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Se, which are harmful to human beings and animals even in trace amounts [40]. Inhalation of particles emitted from fireworks displays can cause injurious effects on human health, especially to children and the aged [41][42][43][44][45][46][47]. During the festival days, increases in the concentrations of air pollutants as well as toxic species such as PM, black carbon (BC) aerosols, and greenhouse gases have been monitored at different sites in India [26,39,[48][49][50][51].…”