PMID- 37733261
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20240119
LR  - 20240202
IS  - 2731-7218 (Electronic)
IS  - 2731-720X (Linking)
VI  - 121
IP  - 1
DP  - 2024 Jan
TI  - [Explosives-based vole traps-A novel injury pattern in the eye region].
PG  - 36-42
LID - 10.1007/s00347-023-01926-1 [doi]
AB  - BACKGROUND: A novel method for trapping voles is the use of pistol-like explosive 
      tools loaded with bolt-action ammunition. When triggered the vole is killed by 
      the very high gas pressure created. Accidental releases can result in facial 
      and/or eye injuries. The aim of this work was to describe the injury pattern in 
      the patient and to experimentally verify whether there is a risk of penetrating 
      eye injuries. METHODS: Two emergency patients presented to our eye clinic with 
      eye injuries after unintentional triggering of the explosive trap. Based on the 
      new pattern of injury noted, experiments were performed on enucleated porcine 
      eyes to determine the possible severity. For this purpose, a vole trap was 
      clamped in a holder and loaded with a Cal. 9 x 17 mm cartridge in each case. In 
      front of the muzzle opening, 3 pig eyes each were fixed on Styrofoam at 
      a distance of 20, 40, 60 and 80 cm. The foreign body indentations in the cornea 
      were visualized and measured by spectral domain optical coherence tomography 
      (SD-OCT). The pig eyes were then dissected and searched for foreign bodies using 
      microscopy. The SD-OCT images of an injured patient were also included for human 
      comparison. RESULTS: On patient examination, in addition to the usual fine 
      gunshot marks on the face and conjunctiva/eye area, wax-like, larger and heavier 
      particles of approximately 0.1-0.2 mm in size were found, which originated from 
      the cartridge end cap. Removal of these foreign bodies, some of which were 
      injected more deeply into the cornea, conjunctiva, and tenon, is much more 
      difficult and extensive than in usual blast trauma. There was no evidence of 
      intraocular foreign bodies in either patient. Likewise, no intraocular foreign 
      bodies could be detected experimentally in any pig eyeball (n = 12). Remnants of 
      the wax-like cartridge end were found deeply penetrating into the corneal stroma. 
      The maximum penetration depth measured against the total corneal thickness was 
      46% at 20 cm device distance and decreased with greater distance to the vole trap 
      (penetration depth at 40 cm at 37%, at 60 cm at 28% and at 80 cm at 19%). For 
      comparisons on the human eye, a penetration depth of 54% was measured at 
      a distance of about 40 cm. In pig eyes the number of foreign bodies per cm(2) 
      decreased with increasing distance from the vole trap (mean: n = 174 foreign 
      bodies, FB, at 20 cm distance, n = 46 FB at 40 cm, n = 23 FB at 60 cm, and 
      n = 9 FB at 80 cm). The largest penetrating foreign bodies measured a mean of 
      383 +/- 43 mum with a maximum of 451 mum. CONCLUSION: New vole traps with gas-powered 
      mechanisms result in larger deeply penetrating wax-like foreign bodies in the 
      cornea, conjunctiva, and tenon of the eye, which are difficult to remove and only 
      surgically possible. Despite the significant explosion during triggering, there 
      was no evidence of penetrating ocular injury from the foreign bodies either in 
      the patient or experimentally in the pig eyes. Safety goggles should be worn when 
      handling the traps to avoid penetration of foreign bodies into the eye.
CI  - (c) 2023. The Author(s).
FAU - Framme, C
AU  - Framme C
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-8685-176X
AD  - Universitatsklinik fur Augenheilkunde, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, 
      Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30652, Hannover, Deutschland. framme.carsten@mh-hannover.de.
FAU - Volkmann, I
AU  - Volkmann I
AD  - Universitatsklinik fur Augenheilkunde, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, 
      Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30652, Hannover, Deutschland.
FAU - Kern, T
AU  - Kern T
AD  - Universitatsklinik fur Augenheilkunde, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, 
      Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30652, Hannover, Deutschland.
LA  - ger
PT  - English Abstract
PT  - Journal Article
TT  - Sprengstoffbasierte Wuhlmausfallen - ein neuartiges Verletzungsmuster im 
      Augenbereich.
DEP - 20230921
PL  - Germany
TA  - Ophthalmologie
JT  - Die Ophthalmologie
JID - 9918402288106676
SB  - IM
MH  - Humans
MH  - Animals
MH  - Swine
MH  - *Eye Foreign Bodies/diagnosis
MH  - Cornea
MH  - *Eye Injuries, Penetrating/diagnosis
MH  - Face
MH  - Tomography, Optical Coherence
MH  - *Wounds, Penetrating
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - Corneal foreign bodies
OT  - Eye trauma
OT  - Goggles
OT  - Mousetrap
OT  - Penetrating injury
EDAT- 2023/09/21 12:42
MHDA- 2024/01/19 06:42
CRDT- 2023/09/21 11:17
PHST- 2023/05/05 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2023/08/31 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2023/06/20 00:00 [revised]
PHST- 2024/01/19 06:42 [medline]
PHST- 2023/09/21 12:42 [pubmed]
PHST- 2023/09/21 11:17 [entrez]
AID - 10.1007/s00347-023-01926-1 [pii]
AID - 10.1007/s00347-023-01926-1 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Ophthalmologie. 2024 Jan;121(1):36-42. doi: 10.1007/s00347-023-01926-1. Epub 2023 
      Sep 21.