Glass-coated kites and cervical injuries: a serious threat to children and adults

Kite flying is a popular game for children and adults all over the world. In India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, people celebrate the arrival of spring by holding a kite festival. These kite festivals include a game of kite fighting, in which participants attempt to use their kite to cut the string of a rival kite. An abrasive material is often placed on the string of the kite to increase its ability to cut other kite strings. Typically, the thread is coated with a combination of ground glass and a water-soluble paper glue called manja. In Brazil, kite strings prepared in this manner are known as cerol, and the game is popular in regions with strong winds. Kites are associated with various types of injuries, including accidents that occur during the preparation of the threads, electrical injuries from high tension currents, falls that occur during the game, or injuries caused to bystanders during kite flying, especially those riding motorcycles or bicycles. The severity of the latter type of injury depends on both the speed of the vehicle and the kite, which is directly related to the wind speed. In Brazil, the use of motorcycles has significantly increased in the last few years, and riders are especially vulnerable to injuries caused by manja. Emergency departments have occasionally even reported patients with fatal neck injuries due to kites. The purpose of the present study was to identify and analyze the type and severity of cervical injuries and the management of patients with penetrating neck wounds due to manja.