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Blast Eye Injuries: A Review for First Responders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 April 2013

Michael G. Morley ,
Jackie K. Nguyen ,
Jeffrey S. Heier ,
Bradford J. Shingleton ,
Joseph F. Pasternak  and
Kraig S. Bower
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Abstract

As the rate of terrorism increases, it is important for health care providers to become familiar with the management of injuries inflicted by blasts and explosions. This article reviews the ocular injuries associated with explosive blasts, providing basic concepts with which to approach the blast-injured patient with eye trauma. We conducted a literature review of relevant articles indexed in PubMed between 1948 and 2007. Two hundred forty-four articles were reviewed. We concluded that ocular injury is a frequent cause of morbidity in blast victims, occurring in up to 28% of blast survivors. Secondary blast injuries, resulting from flying fragments and debris, cause the majority of eye injuries among blast victims. The most common blast eye injuries include corneal abrasions and foreign bodies, eyelid lacerations, open globe injuries, and intraocular foreign bodies. Injuries to the periorbital area can be a source of significant morbidity, and ocular blast injuries have the potential to result in severe vision loss.

(Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2010;4:154-160)

Keywords

eye injurieswarfareblast injuriesterrorismtraumawounds and injuriesforeign bodiesreview articles
Type
Review Articles
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 4 , Issue 2 , June 2010 , pp. 154 - 160
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2010

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