• 26
  • July
    2010

If you're a Dallas parent whose 12-year-old has been begging for contact lenses, you may want to think twice before giving in. A recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration study of children's and teens' emergency room visits related to medical device adverse events (MDAEs) found that 23 percent involved contact lenses.

Researchers were surprised to find that the most affected body part among 11 to 21 year olds was the eyeball. Ophthalmic devices such as contacts and eyeglasses accounted for 40 percent of those MDAEs. Specific injuries included corneal abrasion, infection and conjunctivitis from soft contact lenses, and lacerations (cuts) to the eye or the face from eyeglasses.

While very few of those injuries required hospitalization, the study's authors point out that many are avoidable. For kids, parental involvement is key. Receiving and following instructions from the eyecare professional on how long to wear lenses and how often to replace them is key to preventing complications.

Another frequent cause of pediatric MDAEs is physical medicine devices. Researchers have pointed out that devices like wheelchairs, walkers and crutches allow disabled children to participate in activities they would not have otherwise. Consequently, the risk of injury is increased. 

These injuries fall into four groups:

  • engineering factors (design of device)
  • characteristics of the user (age, gender, health status, etc.)
  • physical environment (including home modifications)
  • social environment (including adult supervision)

Modifying these factors can help to prevent injuries among children. Parents, for example, can supervise more closely. Manufacturers can provide more age-appropriate training materials and modify device designs specifically for pediatric use. Health care providers can prescribe more developmentally appropriate devices.

The purpose of the study was to delve more deeply into the causes of unintentional injuries among children. Approximately 16,000 children die each year as the result of an injury. Of those, 70 percent die from an unintentional injury.

Resource: Pediatrics, "Emergency Department Visits for Medical-Device Associated Adverse Events Among Children" 7/26/10