June 13, 2002

Forego Fourth of July injuries this year and view fireworks at public displays

Ann Arbor—Each year fireworks cause over 8,500 injuries, including 2,400 injuries to the eye. 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.

And though Americans may feel an added desire to express their patriotism this year, Kellogg eye doctors warn that using fireworks in your backyard can result in a trip to the emergency room.

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, boys between the ages of 13 and 15 sustain three fourths of all fireworks-related eye injuries. "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 three-quarters 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, that 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 firework. "The safest – and most spectacular – way to view fireworks is through professionally conducted, community-sponsored displays," she says.

Area public fireworks displays:
Milan - June 15, downtown by the lake
Canton - June 22, Liberty Fest
Detroit - June 26, on the river
Ypsilanti - July 2, at Ford Lake
Manchester - July 3, Carr Park, 600 W. Main St.
Dexter - July 6, Hudson Mills Metropark, 8801 N. Territorial Rd.

Contact: Betsy Nisbet, 734.647.5586, bsnisbet@umich.edu.