A rare form of domestic accident: blast abdominal injury with evisceration of abdominal viscus

Evisceration of abdominal viscus following 'Flowerpot firecracker' (tubri) blast injury to the abdomen is a rare but dangerous form of domestic accident. Lack of knowledge and non-compliance of safety measures is the major reason for firecracker eventualities. A 10-year male child presented three hours post-injury with a wound over the upper abdomen. On examination there was evisceration of part of stomach along with colon through supraumbilical abdominal wound. Resuscitation and repair following exploratory laparotomy performed. Patient recovered well postoperatively. Public awareness and safety measures need to be taken to prevent the fatal outcomes of firecracker misuse.

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

Purpose: Ocular trauma is a major cause of acquired monocular blindness in children. Firework injuries account for 20% of ocular trauma. The purpose of our study was to document the profile of ocular firework injuries in children during the festive season of Diwali and to determine the prevalence of unilateral blindness in them. Materials and Methods: A retrospective chart analysis of ocular firework injury in children during the festival of Diwali from 2009 to 2013, conducted in a tertiary care eye center in Tamil Nadu, Southern India. Children below 18 years of age with ocular firework injuries who presented to the emergency department for 3 consecutive days ‑ the day of Diwali, 1 day before, and 1 day after Diwali ‑ were included in this study. Results: Eighty‑four children presented with firework‑related ocular injuries during the study period. Male to female ratio was 4:1 with mean age 9.48 ± 4 years. Forty‑four percentage required hospitalization. The prevalence of unilateral blindness in children due to fireworks was found to be 8% (95% confidence interval ‑ 2–13%). Conclusion: Vision 2020 gives high priority to avoidable blindness, especially in children. In our study, for every 12 children who presented with firecracker injury, one resulted in unilateral blindness. This is an avoidable cause of blindness. Awareness needs to be created, and changes in policy regarding sales and handling of firecrackers including mandatory use of protective eyewear should be considered.

X-ray Diffraction Analysis to Clarify the Unusual Origin of an Intraocular Foreign Body.

Purpose: To clarify the origin of a metallic intraocular foreign body (IOFB) due to a firecracker injury and to show the utility of X-ray diffraction analysis in the identification process. Methods: Interventional case report using X-ray diffraction technique. Results: We report a mechanism of firecracker ocular injury not previously described in the published literature. It involved penetration into the eye by a ground particle of calamine (originated from the area of detonation) and not, as it could be suspected, by a firecracker fragment. Conclusion: X-ray diffraction analysis showed environmental debris in the area of detonation can be injected as foreign material into the eye.