Epidemiology of Cracker (Fire Works) Injuries in a Tertiary Burn Care Centre

Abstract

Fireworks related burns are one of the causes of recurring incidences of burn injuries every year during festivals. Sporadic events are reported in family and communal celebrations / temple festivals and in funerals. These burns are different from other burns as the burn percentage is not the major burden,  but the increasing number of patients with cracker burn injuries with loss of hand function, loss of vision and at times blast injury of the face with major tissue loss and multiple fractures (shattered tissues), which are challenging for the reconstructive surgeon, are major concern. The vulnerable groups are innocent children who sustain injuries due to ignorance, negligence and lack of supervision. These fire cracker burn wounds are to be classified separately as the wounds are more like traumatic wounds than burn wounds. They are also associated with more morbidity than mortality.^(1,2,3)

 The management of these wound is multidisciplinary, with involvement of various specialists like paediatricians, ophthalmologists, psychiatrists, orthopaedic surgeons and specialists in rehabilitative medicine along with plastic and reconstructive surgeons.Reconstruction of blast hand and face needs multiple surgeries and prolonged period of physiotherapy and rehabilitation. The effective and appropriate decision made in the acute phase is important to reduce their morbidity.⁽⁴⁾