The festive season of Diwali is known for its lighting, celebratory fervour and feeling of joy in the air. Firecrackers were an integral part of the festive season, though with stricter regulations and growing awareness about pollution, their use has got curbed. However even today on every Diwali, eye doctors keep busy trying to manage cases of firecracker induced injury or burns on the face and eyes. Children are the most prone for these injuries as they are less alert, often distracted, unaware of the dangers and more exposed being shorter in height and arm length making their face closer to the firecracker. Firecracker injuries can be due to direct impact of the bursting firecracker leading to a mechanical injury or due to heat from the explosion causing a thermal injury or indirect impact due to flying object or hand impact by a friend or bystander.
Prevention is better than cure: A child should not be allowed to burn firecrackers in an unsupervised manner. An adult should always be present and alert to ensure that the child is following safe practices including burning age appropriate firecrackers, keeping enough arm length and distance from the firecracker, avoiding bundling of firecrackers, pointing air borne firecrackers away from humans and burning in a safe open space without any inflammatory hazards. Eyes may be protected by use of safety glasses.
What to do if my child gets injured: In the event of a firecracker injury, move the child to a safe well-lit spot. Make sure there is no active flames on the clothes. Wash the injured area with cool clean water and apply cold compresses over areas of face and eyelids with any suspected burns. If the child is verbal ask him if he feels any burning or pricking sensation in his eyes and if he can open the eyes and see with either eye. If the child is not able to open their eyes, wash the eyelids from outside, apply cool ice wrapped in a cloth over the eyes and take child to the ophthalmologist or emergency room of a hospital near you. Keep the child from rubbing eyes as that may worsen the injury. Lubricant eyedrops may be applied frequently in the eyes while waiting for a consultation. The ophthalmologist would evaluate and guide the next steps which may may vary from observation, use of eyedrops, eye patching and even surgery if the injury is severe or the integrity of the eyeball is compromised.
Safety first: Keep a first aid kit including some cotton gauze, sterile water, antibiotic ointment and ice pack ready during these festival days. It should be handy and quickly accessible by all family members. Avoid crackers which are non-branded or of poor quality and use them within the safety parameters of distance and placement. Avoid projectile based firecrackers.
By taking a few simple precautions, and being prepared, we can ensure our children have a safe and happy Diwali.