Mortality and Morbidity of Fireworks-Related Burns on the Annual Last Wednesday of the Year Festival (Charshanbeh Soori) in Iran: An 11-Year Study

Abstract

BackgroundManagement of firework-related injuries is costly for the patient, society, and government.ObjectivesEvaluating effective factors yielding to such injuries may lead to better management of patients and decreased costs and morbidities.Patients and MaterialsThis retrospective cross-sectional study was performed on burn patients referred to Shahid Motahari Burns Hospital on Charshanbeh Soori day festival during the period extending from March 2000 to March 2011 (11 days in an 11-year period). Demographic data, causes of burn injury, severity, and affected body parts were recorded. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.ResultsThere were164 patients in the study with a mean age of 18.34 ± 9.31 years; 87% (145/164) were male. Homemade grenades were the most frequent cause of injury. Hand injury was reported in 56% (92/164) of the cases. Amputation was executed in 7 (4.3%) cases, and 6 (3.7%) patients died due to severe burn injuries and facial damage.ConclusionsFireworks- related injuries during Charshanbeh Soori ceremony causes significant morbidities and damage to different body parts (especially upper limbs and face), and some of these injuries will lead to life time disabilities, amputations, and even death. As most of the injured patients are young teenagers and children, special consideration must be taken into account to prevent long term morbidities.

Firework‐related injury in the Top End: a 16‐year review

“…In our study children, defined as less than 18 years old, constituted 30.9% of admissions for FWRI, slightly less than the 42–50% reported in other series . In the USA, an estimated 85 800 paediatric emergency department visits over a 14‐year review lead Witsman et al to recommend that consumer fireworks not be used by or around children at all .…”

Missed Diagnosis of an Intraorbital Foreign Body of Homemade Fireworks Origin: A Case Report

“…In the US, during June to July 2002, approximately 300 (5.3%) of the patients with firework-related injuries were injured in incidents involving illegal and homemade fireworks in the 17 participating states in a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [ 1 ]. There are several reports on firework-related injuries [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]. Most of them happened in Iran during the annual Last Wednesday of the Year Festival (Charshanbeh Soori), and homemade grenades were the most frequent type of fireworks causing injury [ 2 ].…”

Firework-related blast injury to the hand and treatment algorithm

“…Numerous studies have demonstrated that the hands are the most commonly affected body part in firework injuries2 4 5 7 and the majority of patients are young men2 4 who take more risks. Once immediate life-threatening conditions have been treated and broad-spectrum antibiotics administered, the priority is to perform thorough yet accurate debridement of devitalised tissues and achieve skeletal stabilisation.…”