Articles about Eye Health and Disease 2002
 

The Effect of Frontal Air Bags on Eye Injury Patterns in Automobile Crashes

(From Duma SM, et al, Arch Ophthalmol. 2002;120:1517-1522)

While automobiles commonly employ airbags to reduce the chance of injury form collisions, there have been cases of airbag induced ocular injury during deployment of the air bag.  This study evaluated the risk of ocular injury with air bag use during a collision compared with the risk of eye injury with no air bag.

In the study cited above, the National Automotive Sampling System database files from January 1, 1993, through December 31, 1999, were examined in a 3-part study that included an investigation of 22,236 individual crashes that occurred in the United States. A new 4-level eye injury severity scale that quantifies injuries based on recovery time, need for surgery, and possible loss of sight was developed.

Results:  Of all occupants who were exposed to an air bag deployment, 3% sustained an eye injury. In contrast, 2% of occupants not exposed to an air bag deployment sustained an eye injury. A closer examination of the type of eye injuries showed that there was a statistically significant increase in the risk of corneal abrasions for occupants who were exposed to an air bag compared with those who were not (P = .03). Of occupants exposed to an air bag deployment, 0.5% sustained a corneal abrasion compared with 0.04% of occupants who were not exposed to an air bag.

Conclusions  Using the new injury levels, it was shown that although occupants exposed to an air bag deployment had a higher risk of sustaining minor eye injuries (such as corneal abrasion), the air bag appears to have provided a beneficial exchange by reducing the number of severe eye injuries.

 

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