AIIMS Delhi doctors warn over carbide gun eye injuries

New Delhi: Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, have treated 190 cases of eye injuries, with 18-20 of them due to carbide guns during Diwali festivities. They have demanded a complete ban on the manufacture, sale and purchase of such chemical firecrackers.

According to doctors, the Dr Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences in AIIMS recorded a notable spike in firecracker-related eye injuries this year. It received 190 eye injury cases, of which 18-20 were due to carbide guns, they said, news agency PTI reported.

Last year, 160 people had sought treatment for eye injuries at the premier national referral institute for ocular trauma, during the Diwali period, said Dr Radhika Tandon, the chief of RP Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences.

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"This time, the number has increased to 190, with more patients continuing to report even after the festival. This reflects a 19 per cent rise in ocular injury cases compared to last year," Dr Tandon said.

"A disturbing trend that was witnessed this time is the emergence of severe chemical burn-like injuries. Out of 190 cases, 18-20 patients sought treatment for eye injuries directly linked to carbide guns," she said.

These crude homemade guns are made using a PVC pipe and calcium carbide. When water reacts with the carbide, acetylene gas is produced, which explodes upon contact. Plastic fragments ejected from the pipe act like shrapnel and can cause serious injuries.

Dr Tandon explained that these guns cause powerful blasts and release metal hydroxide fumes.

Farmers have been using it for the past several years to scare away monkeys and birds. This year, it became a firecracker in the hands of children.

Experts warn that the fumes emitted following an explosion caused by carbide guns lead to multiple foreign particles getting embedded in the cornea, resulting in severe eye injuries.

"We have seen patients where their corneas have become white, the surface has become raw, and numerous particles are studded there. Such explosions can cause devastating chemical and thermal damage to the ocular surface, leading to permanent corneal opacification and irreversible visual loss," Dr Tandon said, reports PTI.

Experts have stressed the urgent need for strict regulation of quality control and the sale of firecrackers, and a ban on social media channels propagating such hazardous devices.

Their demand comes amid an increase in severe eye injuries across the country, particularly among children, due to chemical firecrackers.

More than 100 people, most of them children aged between 8 and 14 years, were hospitalised in Bhopal and neighbouring Vidisha district in Madhya Pradesh due to injuries sustained after using carbide guns on Diwali.

Dr Namrata Sharma, a professor at the Dr R P Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, emphasised that many people are learning to make carbide guns by watching videos online. She cautioned that this trend needs to be checked and sensitisation activities should be carried out at the school level.

She further said that of the total 190 ocular injury cases at AIIMS Delhi, 44 per cent were reported from Delhi-NCR, while 56 per cent originated from neighbouring states, mainly Uttar Pradesh and parts of Haryana.

The doctor said 17 per cent of the patients had bilateral eye involvement, indicating the high-risk nature of these injuries. Forty-four per cent of patients sustained open globe injuries, necessitating immediate surgical intervention to preserve ocular anatomy and residual vision, she said.

The remaining cases comprised chemical burns and blunt trauma due to sparks, debris, or noxious gases emitted by burning firecrackers, Dr Sharma added.

"The free availability of banned or uncertified crackers in adjacent states contributed significantly to this rise," Dr Sharma said.

Firecrackers were burst in plenty across the national capital following the Supreme Court's nod to allow the use of certified eco-friendly green crackers this year in Delhi and the NCR under regulated conditions.

In the days following Diwali, the RP Centre continues to receive late presentations in outpatient services, often referred from peripheral hospitals, Dr Tandon said.

Many of these patients have been provided with first aid and referred for specialist interventions. In some cases, irreversible damage has already occurred.

"The visual prognosis in such severe cases remains very guarded, with limited chances of full visual recovery despite surgical intervention," she said.

There is a pressing need for strict interstate enforcement of firecracker regulations and monitoring of online sales and banning of hazardous carbide-based and home-assembled crackers, Dr Sharma said.

"It is imperative to promote responsible celebration, strict regulation, and awareness to prevent avoidable blindness and ensure a safe, environmentally conscious Diwali for all," she added.

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