Purpose: To report the results of a questionnaire survey of ocular injuries caused by fireworks in 2011.
Methods: A survey was performed by recovery of questionnaire postcards asking details of firework-related ocular injuries which were sent to 1,094 institutes recognized as training hospitals by the Japan Ophthalmological Society.
Results: The cards were recovered from 57.9% institutes, and showed that 23 eyes of 20 patients (17 men and 3 women) with firework-related ocular injuries were seen in 19 institutes. The patients' ages ranged from 1 to 45 (average 18.4) years old. Injuries were caused by either carelessness or accidents in 18 eyes of 15 patients, and by wrong usage of fireworks in 5 eyes of 5 young men (15-27 years old). These 5 eyes showed severe injuries involving the lens and/or retina, and required surgical treatment with finally measured visual acuities 0.4 or less.
Conclusions: In Japan, hazardous use of fireworks seems to cause severe eye injuries from which at least 5 young adults suffered during one fireworks' season. Therefore, preventive measures should be taken including public education on the usage of fireworks.
Nippon Ganka Gakkai Zasshi (J Jpn Ophthalmol Soc) 118: 1007-1012, 2014.