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Eye injuries in children in Israel. A nationwide collaborative study
1Department of Ophthalmology, Edith Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel.
Insights
Ocular trauma disproportionately affects children, with most injuries occurring during play at home or school. Blunt and perforating injuries are common, leading to significant visual impairment in a notable percentage of cases.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Ocular trauma represents a significant cause of visual impairment and blindness worldwide.
- Childhood eye injuries are a major public health concern, often preventable.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the epidemiology and outcomes of ocular trauma in a nationwide prospective study.
- To identify risk factors and injury patterns in pediatric ocular trauma.
Main Methods:
- A 3-year prospective collaborative study (1981-1983) involving nationwide data collection on ocular trauma.
- Data collected included patient demographics, injury circumstances, injury type, and visual acuity outcomes.
Main Results:
- Children under 17 accounted for 47% of ocular traumas, with peak incidence between ages 6-12.
- Home and street environments were common settings for injuries, often occurring during play and sports.
- Blunt (59.2%) and perforating (30.5%) injuries were predominant; 11% of patients had visual acuity <6/60 at discharge, with 3% experiencing no light perception.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric ocular trauma is a substantial issue, frequently linked to recreational activities and common environments.
- A significant proportion of severe outcomes, including phthisis, enucleation, and endophthalmitis, result from ocular injuries.
- Public health initiatives focusing on injury prevention during childhood play and sports are crucial.
Abstract:
A nationwide prospective collaborative study on ocular trauma was performed in Israel during a period of 3 years (1981 through 1983). Almost half of the traumas (1127 [47%] of 2416 eyes) were sustained by children younger than age 17 years, and mainly between the ages of 6 and 12 years. Most of the injuries happened at home (38.1%) or in the street (26.8%) and during play and sport (65.1%). The male-to-female ratio among the children was 4:1. Blunt injuries accounted for 59.2%; 30.5% were perforating injuries and the rest were chemical and radiation injuries. The visual acuity at the time of hospital discharge was better than 6/30 in the majority of the eyes but 122 patients (11%) had a visual acuity of less than 6/60, and no light perception was the result in 40 eyes (3%). The reasons for the severe outcome were as follows: 23 eyes (2%) owing to phthisis, 22 eyes (1.9%) were enucleated, and 16 eyes (1.4%) suffered from endophthalmitis.