An Update From the Fourth

From Happy Bear Fireworks

The Fourth of July is an ophthalmologist's worst nightmare. That and New Year's Day. These are the two times a year when people can legally shoot fireworks, so naturally the do. Hey, we did too, but more on that later.

We at UAMS hate it even more because that is when the community ophthalmologists disappear (smart) for the weekend and their respective community hospitals are left with no coverage. As we start to roll into the weekend, so do the injuries.

As a general rule, injuries are secondary to things like bottle rockets and roman candles causing blunt trauma to the eye, resulting in a hyphema, or bleeding in the eye. But sometimes, the larger fireworks unexpectedly explode before people have a chance to get back. This has happened. And in one case, the eye injury was significant enough that the eye had to be taken out.

So we did fountains, sparklers, and smoke balls, but overall nothing projectile. I leave that for others, and watch from a distance.