Do Motor Vehicle Airbags Increase the Risk of Ocular Injury?
(Lehto, et al., Ophthalmology June, 2003.) This study was undertaken to evaluate the risk of eye injury in motor vehicle accidents in which airbags deploy. An attempt was made to assess the possible associations between eye injuries and eyewear in these accidents. The study was a literature review of 62 case reports and articles describing 110 adult cases of eye injury after deployment of an airbag. The fatal accident series (fatal injuries with one or more cars involved) included 121 individuals sitting behind an airbag that deployed (65 survivors), and the airbag study (nonfatal, relatively serious accidents) included 210 individuals (survivors). The type of eye injury, eyewear, and crash dynamics were studied in each of the reviewed case reports. RESULTS: Analysis of the published reports revealed that airbag-induced eye injuries were not more frequently reported among wearers of eyeglasses than among non-wearers. However, open-eye injuries were reported three times more often among
