Eye Injury Risk from Water Stream Impact Essay

Ocular injuries caused by solid projectiles have been exposit in the literature (Duma, 2005 Kennedy, 2006 Kennedy, 2007). However, the impact of a high-velocity pee rate of flow on the cosmos has not been previously quantified. Such pressurized water spouts jackpot be found in childrens water toys, squirt guns, and interactional water fountains. As the velocity of these water streams increases, product capabilities, and therefore popularity, similarly increase. In addition to those on the market, water gun enthusiasts custom form powerful guns in order to maximize flow rate, often in excess of 55 ft/s. Interactive water fountains (also called wet decks, squeeze pads, spray pads, or spray parks) are found in earth areas and water parks throughout the country.The attractions feature synchronized jets of water, typically order vertically from nozzles in the ground. While playing, it is possible for a child to go steady into the nozzle in anticipation of the next spurt of wa ter which could in theory cause an shopping mall distress. However, the increasing popularity of these fountains has not been matched by separate regulation.The CDC recommends that health departments update pool codes to include interactive water features that do not have standing water (Prevention, 2007) due to a serial of outbreaks of gastroenteritis (Minshew, 2000). The lack of research and injury assessment has delayed the process, as most states have not established codes. Current available lawmaking is listed in Table 1. The primary focus of concern in live legislation is centered on the filtration system and prevention of spread of bacterial infection. This concern has taken attention away from the potential for mechanical injury due to a high-velocity water jet directed toward a childs eyes, ear, or mouth.This study consisted of five parts place I includes previous research and case studies that have been reviewed to begin to get word the need for water eye injury re search and the previous efforts do to investigate this injury mechanism. In pick II, a range of objects and devices were examine to determine water characteristics and the associated injuries. A summary table of the results was produced. In plowshare III, projectile impact tests were performed with three different projectiles and a range of velocities to bill normalized elan vital and intimate pressure within the eye.For Part IV, water jet impacts were performed with three nozzle diameters and a range of water velocities to measure internal eye pressure to assess injury. In Part V, data from Part III were used to determine a correlation between normalized energy and internal eye pressure to then calculate normalized energy for the calculated internal eye pressure during the water jet impacts (Part IV). Previously veritable injury insecurity curves for corneal abrasion, hyphema, lens dislocation, retinal damage and globe rupture were applied to the calculated normalized ene rgy to determine injury risk for the water jet impacts.Nozzle type, size, and maximum velocity are a critical part of an interactive water fountains performance, just now until relationships between these factors and injury have been established, it is hard to place numerical guidelines on their design. This report aims to quantify the incidence and mechanics of water-induced eye injuries and benchmark the peregrine mechanics of current water systems and toys. Documented cases of high-velocity water-induced eye injuries bear the potential danger of these water blasts (Table 2). Many of the reported incidents occurred in the employment and involve pressure washers, agricultural irrigation sprinklers, or fire hoses.While studies of water-induced eye injuries on humans have not been conducted, animal studies have relate high-velocity water jets to eye damage. Fish (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) exposed to submerged water jets at velocities ranging from 40 to 65 ft/s were examined for injury. Nearly half(prenominal) of all fish suffered eye injuries (bulged, hemorrhaged, or missing) at velocities of 55 ft/s and above (Deng, 2005). In a similar study, fish were released at velocities from 0 to 70 ft/s and the authors found velocity to be positively correlated to severity of injury (Nietzel, 2000). Minor severity was mention when there was a visible injury that had no threat to supportspan and major severity was noted when the injury was a threat to life and persisted throughout time.