Research Note
Consumer product-related eye injury in the United States, 1998-2002

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Abstract

Problem

Eye injury is currently a leading cause of visual impairment and monocular blindness in the United States. Information regarding consumer products associated with eye injuries can have important implications for the prevention of these injuries.

Methods

The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) was used to describe the types of consumer products associated with emergency department treated eye injuries in the United States from 1998 through 2002.

Results

The leading product type associated with eye injuries was welding equipment followed by household cleaners, basketball equipment, workshop equipment, and adhesives. Eye injuries attributed to hardware, tools, construction, sports, toys, and lawn equipment were more common among males. In females, eye injuries attributable to chemicals, housewares, storage and organization, and bed and bath items were more common. Differences were also apparent across the age spectrum.

Conclusion

This study identified specific products and categories of products frequently associated with eye injury and prevention initiatives should focus on these items.

Impact on industry

This study has identified consumer products associated with eye injuries requiring medical treatment in the United States. Manufacturers of these products could be encouraged to add or strengthen safety messages regarding the potential for eye injury.

Section snippets

Problem

In the United States an estimated two million cases of eye injury occur annually resulting in substantial morbidity and economic burden (Kuhn et al., 2002, McGwin et al., 2005, Meiler, 2001, Schein et al., 1988). Eye injury is currently a leading cause of visual impairment and monocular blindness in the United States (Kuhn et al., 2002, McGwin and Owsley, 2005, Schein et al., 1988, USEIR, 2004). Although prevention seems the best method to diminish the impact of eye injury, to date,

Data source and study population

The data for this study is a subset of the CPSC-NEISS representing all consumer product-related eye injury that occurred during the time period 1998 to 2002. The particulars of the NEISS are described in detail elsewhere (Schroeder and Ault, 2001, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2000). Briefly, the NEISS is a national survey of hospital emergency departments conducted by the CPSC in collaboration with the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control to collect

Results

From 1998 to 2002, an estimated 1,122,308 people were treated for consumer product-related eye injuries in emergency departments in the United States. The majority of injuries were abrasions or contusions (40.8%) followed by burns (14.1%), foreign bodies (18.4%), conjunctival injury (10.0%), and lacerations (3.3%); the remaining injury diagnoses each representing < 1% of all eye injuries. The majority of persons were young (53% < 30 years old) and male (68%). According to race, Whites experienced

Discussion

The results of this study indicate which consumer products are most commonly associated with the occurrence of eye injuries treated in emergency departments in the United States. It is important to note that those products most commonly associated with eye injuries are not necessarily those that pose the greatest risk for the occurrence of an eye injury. In the context of the present study, that some products were more commonly associated with eye injuries than others is a function of many

Summary

In conclusion, this study provides an assessment of consumer product-related eye injury in the United States. Future research into consumer product-related eye injury should attempt to link the causes of eye injury with the associated consumer products to further characterize the circumstances of eye injury in the United States.

Dr. Gerald McGwin, Jr. is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Epidemiology and Ophthalmology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He has an M.S. degree in Health Behavior from Harvard University and a Ph.D. degree in Epidemiology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His research interests include injury epidemiology and ophthalmic epidemiology.

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Dr. Gerald McGwin, Jr. is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Epidemiology and Ophthalmology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He has an M.S. degree in Health Behavior from Harvard University and a Ph.D. degree in Epidemiology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His research interests include injury epidemiology and ophthalmic epidemiology.

Dr. Tyler Hall is a resident in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He obtained his M.D. degree from Wright State University School of Medicine and is interested in the causes and consequences of vision impairment.

Mr. Jason Seale is a medical student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Ms. Aiyuan Xie is a statistical analyst in the Clinical Research Unit of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has an M.S. degree in statistics from the University of Idaho.

Dr. Cynthia Owsley is a Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has a Ph.D. degree in psychology from Northwestern University and an M.S.P.H. degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her research interests include the causes and consequences of vision impairment.

This research was supported by NIH grants P50 AG-11684 (the Edward R. Roybal Center for Research in Applied Gerontology) and R21 EY14071, Research to Prevent Blindness Inc., New York, NY and the EyeSight Foundation of Alabama, Birmingham, AL. Cynthia Owsley is a Research to Prevent Blindness Senior Scientific Investigator.

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