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21st Annual Meeting of the German Retina Society and 8th Symposium of the International Society of Ocular Trauma (ISOT)

German Retina Society
International Society of Ocular Trauma

19.06. - 22.06.2008, Würzburg

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Eye Injuries Caused by Hose Stream for Fire Fighting, Water Cannon of Police and Comparable Origin: Results of an International Survey

Meeting Abstract

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  • Udo Hennighausen - Heide/Germany
  • G. Darkow - Magdeburg/Germany
  • D. Goldblum - Basel/Switzerland
  • M. Prost - Warsaw/Poland
  • W.F. Schrader - Würzburg/Germany

Retinologische Gesellschaft. International Society of Ocular Trauma. 21. Jahrestagung der Retinologischen Gesellschaft gemeinsam mit dem 8. Symposium der International Society of Ocular Trauma. Würzburg, 19.-22.06.2008. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2008. DocISOTRG2008V013

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/rg2008/08rg013.shtml

Published: June 18, 2008

© 2008 Hennighausen et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.

Outline

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Background: Two cases of contusio bulbi and one case of avulsio bulbi, caused by hose stream for fire fighting, inspired the authors to investigate this kind of injury.The aim of the study was to get more knowledge of the frequency, the pattern, the causes and the possibilities of prevention of those injuries.

Methods: An international retrospective survey was started, addressed at university and major eye clinics in several countries, mainly in Austria, Germany, Poland and Switzerland, furthermore at ophthalmologists in private practice, accident prevention & insurance associations and fire fighters in leading position.

Results: At the time of delivery of the abstract altogether 18 cases had been collected: Two patterns of laceration were observed: contusio bulbi and avulsio bulbi. The degree of damage was ranging from mild contusio bulbi up to the loss of the eye ball.

Conclusions: Eye injuries caused by hose stream for fire fighting, water cannon of police and comparable origin are rare, but mostly severe. Therefore it is very important to improve the prevention of these injuries.