June 17, 2005

Skip the sparklers and enjoy public fireworks displays this Fourth of July

Ann Arbor—Each year, fireworks cause over 12,000 injuries, including 2,400 injuries to the eye. In fact, nearly 400 Americans lose vision in one or both eyes due to fireworks injuries each year. The best way to avoid such accidents, say University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center ophthalmologists, is to attend a public fireworks display instead of using fireworks at home this Fourth of July.

According to Theresa M. Nairus, M.D., Kellogg ophthalmologist, the typical accident victim is a teenager, who is usually at home, unsupervised, and with a group of friends. In fact, children 16 and younger account for 60 percent of all fireworks injuries each year in the U.S. "One of the reasons fireworks injuries continue to occur is that people don’t know how dangerous these devices can be," says Dr. Nairus. "Each year, even legal fireworks cause thousands of injuries. The risk of losing an eye is not worth the excitement of watching fireworks explode."

Although illegal fireworks – bottle rockets and Roman candles – account for the majority of injuries, seemingly harmless sparklers also cause many injuries each year. For children under the age of five, sparklers account for one half of all fireworks injuries. Fascinated by the bright sparks, children find these sticks of fire – burning as hot as 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit, hot enough to melt gold – irresistible to touch.

If an accident does occur, what can you do to minimize damage to the eye? These actions can help save your child's or your own sight.

• Do not delay medical attention even for seemingly mild injuries. "Mildly" damaged areas can worsen and result in serious vision loss, even blindness, which might not have occurred with immediate treatment.
  
  
• Do not rub the eye. If any eye tissue is torn, rubbing might push out the eye's contents and cause more damage. Although rubbing the eye is an automatic response to pain, pressure will only do more harm. You may attempt to rinse out the eye with clean water, but do not rub the eye while doing so.
  
  
• Avoid giving aspirin or ibuprofen or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These medications thin the blood and might increase bleeding. Acetaminophen is the over-the counter drug of choice for pain. However, it is better to bypass the drugstore or medicine cabinet and get to the emergency room right away.
  
  
• Do not apply ointment or other medications, because they may not be sterile.
  

Dr. Nairus reminds parents to keep children away from fireworks. "The safest – and most spectacular – way to view fireworks is through professionally conducted, community-sponsored displays," she says.


Area public fireworks displays:
Brighton – July 4, Kensington Metropark (2240 West Buno Road in Milford)
Canton Township – June 18, Heritage Park (1010 South Canton Center Road in Canton)
Detroit – June 29, on the Detroit River
Dexter – July 2, Hudson Mills Metropark (8801 North Territorial Road in Dexter)
Livonia – June 26, Ford Field (14281 Farmington Road in Livonia)
Milford – July 2, Camp Dearborn (1700 General Motors Road in Milford)

For more information on fireworks displays in your area, go to: http://www.clickondetroit.com/fireworks/4580083/detail.html

Contact: Aimee S. Bergquist, 734.763.4660, aimeesb@umich.edu