Oxygen Saturation in Closed-Globe Blunt Ocular Trauma

Purpose. To evaluate the oxygen saturation in retinal blood vessels in patients after closed-globe blunt ocular trauma. Design. Retrospective observational case series. Methods. Retinal oximetry was performed in both eyes of 29 patients with unilateral closed-globe blunt ocular trauma. Arterial oxygen saturation (SaO₂), venous oxygen saturation (SvO₂), arteriovenous difference in oxygen saturation (SO₂), arteriolar diameter, venular diameter, and arteriovenous difference in diameter were measured. Association parameters including age, finger pulse oximetry, systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, and heart rate were analyzed. Results. The mean SaO₂ in traumatic eyes (98.1% ± 6.8%) was not significantly different from SaO₂ in unaffected ones (95.3% ± 7.2%) (p = 0.136). Mean SvO₂ in traumatic eyes (57.1% ± 10.6%) was significantly lower than in unaffected ones (62.3% ± 8.4%) (p = 0.044). The arteriovenous difference in SO₂ in traumatic eyes (41.0% ± 11.2%) was significantly larger than in unaffected ones (33.0% ± 6.9%) (p = 0.002). No significant difference was observed between traumatic eyes and unaffected ones in arteriolar (p = 0.249) and venular diameter (p = 0.972) as well as arteriovenous difference in diameter (p = 0.275). Conclusions. Oxygen consumption is increased in eyes after cgBOT, associated with lower SvO₂ and enlarged arteriovenous difference in SO₂ but not with changes in diameter of retinal vessels.