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Epidemiology, Etiologies, and Complications of Playtime Open Globe Injuries in Children
Insights
Playtime eye injuries, specifically open globe injuries in children, are often preventable. Supervision and avoiding dangerous play activities can significantly reduce these traumatic incidents and preserve vision.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Ophthalmology
- Trauma Surgery
Background:
- Open globe injuries represent a significant cause of vision loss in children.
- Understanding the specific circumstances and etiologies of these injuries is crucial for effective prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the epidemiology, causes, and complications of open globe injuries sustained by children during playtime.
- To identify risk factors associated with playtime eye trauma in a pediatric population.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted at Assiut University Hospital, Egypt.
- Children aged 18 years and younger with open globe injuries admitted over a 6-month period were enrolled.
- Data on trauma circumstances during playtime, injury mechanisms, and affected ocular sites were collected and analyzed.
Main Results:
- Out of 81 children with open globe injuries, 32 (39.51%) occurred during playtime.
- The primary causes included playing with sharp objects (34.38%), wooden sticks (21.88%), and falls (15.63%).
- Corneal involvement was most frequent (71.88%), followed by corneoscleral (25%) and scleral (3.13%) injuries.
Conclusions:
- Playtime-related open globe injuries are a substantial and avoidable cause of visual impairment in children.
- Close parental supervision and education on safe play practices are essential for injury prevention.
- Avoiding sharp objects and hazardous play environments can mitigate the risk of severe ocular trauma.
Purpose:
To study the epidemiology, etiologies, and complications of playtime open globe injuries in children at the Assiut University Hospital, Egypt.
Methods:
This prospective cross-sectional study enrolled children with open globe injury who were admitted to Assiut University Hospital during a 6-month period (January to July 2016). All causes of trauma that occurred during playtime (at home, outside home, at the club, or at school) were recorded and analyzed.
Results:
Eighty-one children (age = 18 years and younger; mean ± standard deviation age = 8.35 ± 4.84 years) were admitted with open globe injury, and 32 of them (39.51%) sustained ocular trauma during playtime. The majority of children were boys (n = 23, 71.88%). The causes of trauma during playtime were: playing with sharp objects (n = 11; 34.38%), playing with a wooden stick (n = 7; 21.88%), falling on the ground (n = 5; 15.63%), trauma by a stone (n = 2; 6.25%), trauma during running (n = 1; 3.13%), playing with a plastic toy (n = 1; 3.13%), and unknown causes (n = 5; 15.63%). The sites of globe perforation were corneal (n = 23; 71.88%), corneoscleral (n = 8; 25%), and scleral (n = 1; 3.13%).
Conclusions:
Playtime trauma that causes open globe injury and visual disability is avoidable and constituted approximately half of the open globe injuries in this study population. Corneal involvement occurred in almost all open globe injuries. Parental supervision for children during playtime is crucial to injury prevention. Children should avoid playing with sharp, dangerous objects and desist from playing or running on unsafe ground. [.
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