Epidemiology and follow up the impact of the fireworks legislation in Colombia, South America

Main Article Content

Albert Alejandro Ávila
Tatiana Eunice Castro
Javier Alfonso Aguilar
Carlos Fernando Valencia

Abstract

DOI: 10.1016/j.rcpe.2016.04.001


 


Fireworks are used around the world as part of national and cultural celebrations. These devices are capable of inflicting damage such as burns and other injuries. In Colombia, the periods in which the incidence of fireworks injuries increases dramatically are during the Christmas and New Year's Eve celebration. Fireworks injuries are related to the manufacture, stockpiling, transportation, and marketing, and especially with their handling.


Methods


An observational, descriptive study was carried out using, as a data source, the Sistema Nacional de Vigilancia en Salud Pública (National System for Public Health Surveillance) (Sivigila) for the period January 2007 to December 2013.


Results


Between January 2007 and December 2013, Colombia reported 6,795 cases of injuries caused by the improper handling and use of gunpowder. The events showed peaks occurring on 7, 8, 24, 25, and 31 December, and January 1st. The departments with the highest rate of injuries were Norte de Santander, Cauca, Quindío, Caldas, Nariño, and Antioquia.


Conclusions


Fireworks are devices capable of causing serious injury and death when handled, prepared and stored. Children continue to be the most affected population. Restrictive measures alone are not effective, with educational campaigns proving to be the most effective measures to prevent injury.


 

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Article Details

How to Cite
Ávila, A. A., Castro, T. E., Aguilar, J. A., & Valencia, C. F. (2000). Epidemiology and follow up the impact of the fireworks legislation in Colombia, South America. Pediatría, 49(2), 41–47. Retrieved from https://revistapediatria.org/rp/article/view/21
Section
Originals

References

1 B.J. Fogarty,D.J. Gordon
Firework related injury and legislation: The epidemiology of firework injuries and the effect of legislation in Northern Ireland Burns., 25 (1999), pp. 53-56 Medline

2 J.R. Harris,J.M. Kobayashi,F. Frost
Injuries from fireworks
JAMA., 249 (1983), pp. 2460
Medline

3 J.X. Moore,G. McGwin,R.L. Griffin
The epidemiology of firework-related injuries in the United States: 2000-2010
Injury, 45 (2014), pp. 1704-1709 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.injury.2014.06.024
Medline

4 M.I. Ferreira,M. Más,C. Ortega,J. Prego
Lesiones por fuegos artificiales en pediatría
Arch Pediatr Urug., (2016),

5 J.A. Clarke,J.D. Langley
Firework related injury in New Zealand
N Z Med J., 107 (1994), pp. 423-425
Medline

6 J.P. Sheller,O. Muchardt,B. Jonsson,M.B. Mikkelsen
Burn injuries caused by fireworks: Effect of prophylaxis
Burns., 21 (1995), pp. 50-53
Medline

7 J.J. Johnston,M. Jenkins,L.A. McKinney
Fireworks related injuries: Does changing legislation make a difference. A thought for next Halloween
Emerg Med J., 18 (2001), pp. 232-234
Medline

8 V. Puri,S. Mahendru,R. Rana,M. Deshpande
Firework injuries: A ten-year study
J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg., 62 (2009), pp. 1103-1111 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bjps.2007.12.080
Medline

9 A.F. Edwin,T.C. Cubison,S.A. Pape
The impact of recent legislation on paediatric fireworks injuries in the Newcastle upon Tyne region
Burns., 34 (2008), pp. 953-964 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.burns.2008.01.018
Medline

10 R. Tandon,K. Agrawal,R.P. Narayan,V.K. Tiwari,V. Prakash,S. Kumar
Firecracker injuries during Diwali festival: The epidemiology and impact of legislation in Delhi
Indian J Plast Surg., 45 (2012), pp. 97-101 http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/0970-0358.96595
Medline

11 The dangers of fireworks. U.S
Fire Administration Topical Fire Research Series., 1 (2001), pp. 1-4

12 Instituto Nacional de Salud de Colombia y Observatorio Nacional de Salud de Colombia. Documento técnico serie III. Pólvora. 1-76. Bogotá, D.C., Colombia. 2014.

Most read articles by the same author(s)

Similar Articles

<< < 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.