Five Of The Worst Injuries Ever Caused By Fireworks

With the 4th of July, Independence Day, only a couple days away, the one thing on literally everyone’s mind is fireworks.

Those brightly colored packages of gunpowder are maybe more American than baseball or apple pie.

The only thing better than watching an impressive fireworks show is heading out to the backyard after you’ve downed a few brats and making your own for your family and friends.

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However… fireworks, as we all know, can be very dangerous.

There have been countless stories of people misusing or mishandling fireworks and ending up in the hospital, or worse.

Below, you’ll find a list of some of those unfortunate events, as originally shared by Gizmodo.

Scroll Down To Read About Five Of The Worst Injuries Ever Caused By Fireworks

Amputation

This is probably the most obvious result of poor fireworks safety.

As far back as 1961 there were complied reports of cases where children lost limbs because of fireworks.

There was even a professional NFL player, Jason Pierre-Paul, who lost some of his fingers because of a malfunctioning firework.

Interestingly, there may be hope for those who lose appendages to fireworks, though, as in the year 2000, doctors discovered that a man who’d had a hand transplant after losing his in a firework accident was able to regain “his level of function with the graft as superior to that with the prosthesis he used before transplantation.”

Tetanus

Back in 1899, there were a reported six cases of death caused by tetanus which was the result of fireworks shooting.

Editors of the New England Journal of Medicine wrote that it “calls attention anew to the barbarous character of the American method of displaying patriotism on that day.”

Basically, the kids were getting firework residue in their cuts and not cleaning properly.

While tetanus is more easily avoidable, back then it would cause lock-jaw and stiffening of the back with aches. Sufferers would die within hours.

Acute Phosphorus Poisoning

Yellow phosphorus used to be what was at the end of matches long ago to ignite them. It’s found still today in things like rat poison. Oh, and fireworks.

Back in 1945, there were multiple cases of children ingesting it and that is really not good.

If it’s ingested, it causes the following symptoms:

“Feeling of warmth or burning pain in the throat and abdomen accompanied by feelings of intense thirst; nausea, vomiting (emesis), diarrhea, and severe abdominal pain; garlic odor to the breath, vomitus, and feces; vomitus and feces may glow (luminesce) and are capable of causing burns on contact with skin.”

Also, you will more than likely die within 24 to 48 hours, so, while it should go without saying, don’t eat fireworks.

Eye Injuries

The eyes are easily one of the more vulnerable parts of the human body, but you know who doesn’t care? Fireworks.

This is something that has been reported an innumerable amount of times throughout the decades.

In 1929, there was a report of a child putting a firecracker at the end of a stick and lighting it, subsequently blowing up into his eyeball.

Then, fairly recently, a middle-aged man in India was admitted to the hospital for a similar situation.

Looking at fireworks is obviously a crucial part of their attraction, but just make sure you watch them from a safe distance. Also, don’t light them near your face.

Foreign Dody Impacted In The Larynx

Finally, don’t assume that just because you’re not near any fireworks that they can’t harm you, as a 27-year-old man once found out that merely talking about fireworks in an excited manner can cause you injury,

Per the NEJM: “On the evening of October 10, 1892, J. R., an American, aged twenty-seven years, of alight physique and nervous temperament, sat at dinner, and while hurriedly swallowing his soup and at the same time eagerly discussing with his wife the best situation for viewing the Columbian fireworks, he drew into his larynx a piece of bone, which unhappily had been served him in his soup. The soup was made from a large beef bone, and contained chips of its caucellous structure.”

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J.R. immediately sought medical attention, and, after much pain and exploration, a surgeon was finally able to get it out.

Let that be a lesson to you. The next time you consider hurriedly eating a bowl of boney soup while fervently discussing fireworks, just don’t. It could backfire.

Photo Credit: Unsplash / Ryan Wong