Nerf-type guns, those fashionable toys that shoot foam darts at high speeds, but also ball bearing versions or those used in paintball, have become a real trend among children and teenagers in recent years. But in a study published in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology, French ophthalmologists report an alarming increase in eye injuries among young users. Summer being conducive to outdoor activities, health professionals call on parents to increase their vigilance and take the necessary precautions.
The study, conducted by a team of ophthalmologists from the Fondation Rothschild hospital in Paris, looked at cases of ocular trauma recorded in the ophthalmological emergency department. From January 2010 to June 2022, no less than 304 cases of eye trauma have been recorded, of which almost half (151) were attributable to the use of foam projectiles, 110 to pellet guns and 31 to projectiles of paintball. These figures are all the more worrying as they come from only one hospital establishment. “This suggests that our results are largely underestimated”, underlines Alexandre Dentel, intern in ophthalmology at the hospitals of Paris (AP-HP) and main author of the study.
The number of eye trauma cases continues to increase year by year, and the victims are getting younger and younger. In 2014, these injuries affected more 16-year-olds, but in 2022, the average has risen to 10 years. It is difficult to explain the reason for the increase in the number of cases, but according to Alexandre Dentel, the multiplication of advertising campaigns around these toys has strongly contributed to the trivialization of their use. “The speed at which the projectiles are fired, a parameter which has also probably been optimized by manufacturers, also has its share of responsibility. But we could not verify this in this study. As an indication, the largest Nerf gun in the world fires projectiles at 64 km/h: at such a speed, damage is inevitable in the event of an impact.
» READ ALSO – How Are Serious Eye Injuries Treated?
Most of the time, ocular trauma causes corneal ulcerations, that is to say abrasions of the surface of the eye which are not serious. “When the child has not had time to close his eyelids, the projectile hits the eye and crumbles the surface of the cornea: this is a bit like what happens to the skin when it crumbles as it falls,” describes Alexandre Dentel. Generally, this type of wound heals relatively well within a week, but requires local treatment with antibiotics to prevent the wound from becoming infected. In addition, the eye will remain sensitive for several days.
Among the most severe cases, there are intraocular hemorrhages which can be accompanied by intraocular hypertension, that is to say an increase in pressure in the eye which can affect the optic nerve (which transmits the image from the eye to the brain). “In the long term, this can alter visual function and potentially require lifelong treatment to be instituted, in particular with drugs that lower eye pressure,” says Alexandre Dentel. Sometimes children come to the emergency room with lesions of the retina, iris or cornea, which can lead to a visit to the operating room. Complications are sometimes serious, including corneal deformities or retinal detachment. More rarely, if the initial trauma is severe, it can progress to ocular phthysis: “In this case, the eye begins to atrophy in a way, which leads to total blindness, underlines Alexandre Dentel. We may then have to replace the lost eye with an ocular prosthesis.
As the warm weather approaches, doctors are therefore calling on parents to be extra vigilant so that their children can play in complete safety. Among other things, it is advisable to take care to respect the age recommendations listed on the packaging, to encourage the wearing of protective glasses when using these toys, and to be very attentive to complaints of pain after suddenly, without hesitation to consult if necessary. The doctors also underline the responsibility of the manufacturers, who must make the public aware of the prevention instructions in order to minimize the occurrence of these dramatic accidents.
