MAGAM II – prospective observational multicentre poisons centres study on eye exposures caused by cleaning products

AbstractObjective: Local effects on the eye following cleaning product exposures are frequently reported. According to EU chemicals legislation many cleaning products are labelled with Hazard Phrase 318 indicating risk of irreversible eye damage. The objectives of this study were to identify cleaning products with potential for irreversible eye damage by collecting human exposure data from poisons centres (PC), and to clarify to what degree exact product identification is possible during a PC telephone call.Methods: MAGAM II was a multicentre binational prospective observational PC study. All human eye exposures to detergents or maintenance products reported to nine PCs taking calls from the public and medical professionals during an 18-month period were included. The severity of eye effects was rated according to the WHO Poisoning Severity Score.Results: Five hundred and eighty-six cases were included. Product identification by name leading to formula information was successful in 533 cases (91%). Follow...