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Ocular Trauma Score as prognostic value in traumatic ocular injuries due to rotating wire brushes
Konstantine Purtskhvanidze1, Florian Rüfer2, Alexa Klettner2
1Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Arnold-Heller Strasse 3, Haus 25, Kiel, D-24105, Germany. konstantine.purtskhvanidze@uksh.de.
Purpose:
Rotating wire brushes are used, e.g., for rust removal. Detaching fragments can cause severe eye injuries. The purpose of this study was to investigate mechanism, severity, clinical outcome, validity of Ocular Trauma Score (OTS) and to assess the likelihood of final visual acuity.
Methods:
Twenty patients with traumatic ocular injuries by rotating wire brushes were included. Location and type of injury, grade of injury according to OTS, surgical procedure, and development of visual acuity were evaluated.
Results:
Eleven accidents (55%) happened at work, nine at home (45%). Eighteen injuries (90%) were penetrating, one (5%) was perforating. In one case (5%), an intraocular foreign body was present. One case each was classified OTS 1 and 2 (5%), six cases OTS 3 (30%), four cases OTS 4 (20%), and eight cases OTS 5 (40%). None of the patients was wearing safety goggles. Fourteen patients (70%) were surgically treated. Of these, five were treated at the anterior segment only, nine additionally underwent pars-plana vitrectomy. Nine patients received phacoemulsification. Mean best corrected visual acuity was logMAR 1.0 (2/20) at admission and 0.3 (10/20) at last follow-up. Our results were similar to those in the OTS study, except for OTS 1 (p = 0.046). Comparing the categorical distribution of final visual acuity in all OTS categories, no statistically significant difference was found (p = 0.119) between our results and the OTS study group.
Conclusions:
OTS may provide prognostic information in traumatic ocular injuries by rotating wire brushes. The injuries could have been avoided by wearing safety goggles.
Insights
Rotating wire brushes cause severe eye injuries, often penetrating trauma. The Ocular Trauma Score (OTS) shows prognostic value, but safety goggles could prevent these incidents.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Trauma Surgery
- Occupational Health
Background:
- Rotating wire brushes pose a significant risk for severe ocular injuries due to fragment detachment.
- Previous research indicates the potential for serious visual impairment from such incidents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanism, severity, and clinical outcomes of eye injuries caused by rotating wire brushes.
- To evaluate the validity of the Ocular Trauma Score (OTS) in predicting visual acuity.
- To assess the likelihood of achieving final visual acuity after injury.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of twenty patients with ocular trauma from rotating wire brushes was analyzed.
- Data collected included injury characteristics, OTS grading, surgical interventions, and visual acuity outcomes.
- Statistical analysis compared patient outcomes with the established OTS study group.
Main Results:
- Ninety percent of injuries were penetrating, with no patients wearing safety goggles.
- The Ocular Trauma Score (OTS) distribution showed a high prevalence of severe injury (40% OTS 5).
- Mean best-corrected visual acuity improved from logMAR 1.0 on admission to 0.3 at follow-up, with results largely consistent with the OTS study.
Conclusions:
- The Ocular Trauma Score (OTS) appears to offer prognostic information for eye injuries from rotating wire brushes.
- These traumatic eye injuries are largely preventable through the consistent use of safety goggles.
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