Firework-Related Eye Trauma in Germany

Firework devices cause high numbers of eye trauma cases each year worldwide. These can range from mild conjunctival irritation to devastating loss of all vision or the organ itself. A systematic 10-year retrospective monocentric case analysis was the main aim of this study.

All firework-associated eye trauma patients treated in our clinic from 2007 to 2017 were grouped for trauma severity and analyzed for influencing factors like age, gender, laterality, final visual acuity, and ocular trauma score (OTS).

Between 2007 and 2017, 165 eyes of 149 patients were treated due to firework-associated eye trauma at our clinic. The mean patient age was 28.5 ± 14.4, 116 patients (78%) were male, 113 (75.8%) were bystanders, 94 right and 71 left eyes were treated, and final visual acuity was 0.26 ± 0.54 logMAR. The causative device were bangers in 98 cases (59%), rockets in 54 cases (33%), and sparklers in 13 cases (8%). Patients were significantly older (p = 0.026), final visual acuity was significantly lower (p < 0.01), and OTS was significantly higher (p < 0.01) in patients suffering from major eye trauma compared to minor trauma cases.

Patients suffering from firework-associated eye trauma are mostly young, male, and bystanders. However, severe trauma is more frequent in higher age groups, leading to serious consequences. In Germany, more educational efforts and prophylaxis concerning eye trauma caused by firework devices are desirable.