[Clinical aspects of injury to the eye inflicted with gas pistols for self-defense].

The clinical picture of an injury inflicted with gas pistols represents polymorphous changes and severe injury to the organ of vision, involving not only the anterior segment, but the deep structures as well. Analysis of the status of the damaged eyes and the mechanism of injury permitted us to distinguish 3 clinical groups in terms of the intensity of exposure to this or that factor: 1) chemical burn of the cornea and conjunctiva (65 patients); 2) chemical burn with elements of thermal involvement and impregnation of tissues with particles of gunpowder that failed to burn and slight or medium-severe contusion of the eyeball (31 patients): and 3) severe thermochemical burn with grave contusion of the eyeball, sometimes with rupture of membranes (6 patients). Hence, we may conclude that the consequences of using gas weapons differ from those described in the Status of Gas Weapons Application and in advertising materials by a much greater severity, and in 11.7% cases such injuries led to complete irreversible loss of vision. Obviously the shortest distance from which it may be allowed to shoot from gas pistols should be increased to 1 meter.