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Mobile battery blast injuries: An emerging ocular health hazard in children
Chintan Shah1, Anand Goyal1, Pradhnya Sen1
1Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, Sadguru Netra Chikitsalaya and Post Graduate Institute of Ophthalmology, Jankikund, Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Insights
Mobile battery blasts cause severe eye injuries in children, often leading to poor visual outcomes. Playing with or charging batteries were common causes, highlighting the need for safety awareness.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Ophthalmology
- Trauma Surgery
Background:
- Mobile battery explosions are an emerging cause of pediatric ocular trauma.
- These injuries can result in significant visual impairment and long-term complications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the clinical characteristics of eye injuries in children caused by mobile battery blasts.
- To assess visual outcomes and identify risk factors associated with these injuries.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective review of pediatric patients with mobile battery blast eye injuries treated at a tertiary eye care center.
- Data collected included injury mechanism, battery status, clinical presentation, and treatment outcomes.
Main Results:
- The study analyzed 14 eyes from 11 pediatric patients, with 27% experiencing bilateral injuries.
- Common injury causes included wiring bulbs to batteries and charging with universal chargers.
- Open-globe injuries (OGI) were more frequent (11 eyes) than closed-globe injuries (CGI) (3 eyes), with poorer visual acuity in OGI cases.
Conclusions:
- Mobile battery blast-induced ocular injuries, though infrequent, are associated with severe consequences and poor visual prognosis.
- Playing with damaged batteries and improper charging practices are significant contributing factors.
Purpose:
To assess clinical features, visual outcomes, and setting of mobile battery blast-induced eye injuries in children.
Methods:
Retrospective case sheets of children with mobile battery blast injuries were reviewed at a tertiary eye care center from January 2015 to March 2022. We noted the mode of injury, battery status, and clinical presentation and analyzed the treatment outcomes.
Results:
The study included 14 eyes of 11 patients. Three patients (27%) had bilateral ocular injuries. The most common reasons for the blast were wiring a bulb to the battery or charging the battery with a universal mobile charger, seen in four cases each. Three eyes had closed-globe injuries (CGIs), whereas 11 had open-globe injuries (OGIs). Of the 11 eyes with OGI, four also had a retained intraocular foreign body (IOFB). Only four (36%) eyes having OGI could achieve vision better than 6/60. All three eyes with CGIs developed secondary glaucoma, and two underwent trabeculectomy. However, the visual prognosis was better (>6/36) in eyes with CGI. Overall, mean visual acuity at the final follow-up was improved to 1.41 ± 1.14 logMAR from 2.32 ± 0.76 logMAR at presentation. This was also found to be statistically significant with a P value of 0.02.
Conclusion:
Battery blast-induced ocular injuries, although rare, often lead to poor outcomes. Apart from charging, playing with discarded or damaged batteries was a common reason for battery blasts in our series.
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