Over the past decade, “the use of drones has increased dramatically and drone-related injuries have become an emerging cause of trauma,” warn doctors.
- Cases of trauma and injury from recreational drones are on the rise
- Propellers from a drone hit the upper region of a victim’s face, resulting in lacerations of the forehead and eyelids, partial laceration of the white of the eye, and laceration of the inner membrane of the eyelid
Drones can be very dangerous, even when used for fun. The BMJ thus reports the case of a man injured by his leisure drone, and the description of his injuries sends shivers down the spine.
“A grown man was hit in the face by his own aerial drone,” explain the experts in the preamble. The drone’s propellers impacted the upper region of the face, causing lacerations of the forehead and eyelids, partial laceration of the white of the eye, and laceration of the inner membrane of the eyelid. The blood has also clotted in the front of the eye (forming a “hyphema”), and the iris became inflamed (causing a “traumatic iritis”). Before the accident, a previous cataract operation aggravated the injuries of the unfortunate patient.
“An emerging cause of trauma”
Over the past decade, “Use of drones has increased dramatically and drone-related injuries have become an emerging cause of trauma,” note the doctors. “Our case must raise awareness of the risks and underscores the need for better regulation of drone use,” pursue health professionals.
In France, the turnover of the civilian drone increases by 20 to 30% each year, according to the specialized site dronerules.academy. “The growth of the civil drones market is not weakening. In the consumer segment, the volumes sold have further increased by 45% in France in 2016, while the applications are multiplying and the solutions offered are gaining in maturity in the professional segment” , estimates the Xerfi.com site.
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