Severe ocular trauma in the emergency room

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Trauma Surgery
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Ocular trauma is a significant cause of visual impairment.
• Understanding the epidemiology and mechanisms of severe eye injuries is crucial for prevention and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the nature, severity, and mechanisms of ocular trauma presenting to an emergency department.
• To identify common causes and injury types associated with severe ocular trauma.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of patient records for ocular trauma cases.
• Definition of severe intraocular trauma included injuries requiring intraocular surgery, traumatic optic neuropathy, or globe destruction.

Main Results:

• Out of 519 patients, 52 (10%) experienced severe ocular trauma.
• Contusions, penetrating lacerations, and ruptures were the most frequent severe injuries.
• Physical assault was the primary cause for severe ocular trauma, with 63.5% of severe cases involving full-thickness open globe injuries.

Conclusions:

• Contusions, penetrating lacerations, and ruptures are the most common severe ocular traumas.
• Penetrating lacerations and ruptures are leading causes of open globe injuries in severe ocular trauma cases.