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A Comparative Evaluation of Globe Trauma Features in a Tertiary Care Hospital Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Gözde Şahin Vural1, Semih Yılmaz1, Eyyüp Karahan1
1Balıkesir University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Balıkesir, Turkey
Insights
This study compared globe trauma cases before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding changes in injury types and reduced hospital stays during the pandemic. Preoperative visual acuity remained a key factor for outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Trauma Surgery
- Public Health
Background:
- Globe injuries necessitate prompt surgical repair to prevent visual morbidity.
- The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has influenced lifestyle and safety behaviors, potentially altering injury patterns.
- Understanding these changes is crucial for adapting emergency care protocols.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare clinical features, preoperative evaluations, and surgical approaches for globe trauma patients before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To identify shifts in the types of globe injuries and management strategies.
- To assess the impact of the pandemic on patient care timelines and outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 54 patients with traumatic globe perforation undergoing primary repair.
- Division into two groups: pre-pandemic (May 2019-March 2020) and pandemic (March 2020-January 2021).
- Collection of demographic data, trauma history, timelines (trauma-to-admission, admission-to-surgery), COVID-19 PCR results, examination findings, surgical details, and postoperative outcomes.
Main Results:
- Garden/farm injuries increased, while workplace injuries decreased during the pandemic.
- Hospital stay was significantly shorter during the pandemic (3.78 days vs. 7.23 days).
- No significant differences were observed in injury characteristics, surgical interventions, or postoperative complications; preoperative visual acuity was a key prognostic factor.
Conclusions:
- Globe injuries require urgent intervention, and pandemic-related lifestyle changes affect injury patterns.
- Patients were discharged more rapidly during the pandemic to minimize hospital exposure.
- The study highlights the need for adaptive strategies in managing ocular trauma during public health crises.
Objectives:
To compare the clinical features, preoperative evaluation, and surgical approaches of globe trauma patients presenting to the emergency department before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Materials And Methods:
We retrospectively analyzed 54 eyes of 54 patients with traumatic globe perforation who underwent primary globe repair. The patients were divided into two groups according to the official start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey: Group 1, 1 May 2019-11 March 2020 and Group 2, 11 March 2020-1 January 2021. The demographic features, trauma history, time from trauma to admission and from admission to surgery, COVID-19 serology (polymerase chain reaction [PCR]) result, ophthalmological examination findings at admission, surgical interventions, and postoperative clinical features were obtained from the patients' records.
Results:
The mean ages of the patients in Group 1 (n=21) and Group 2 (n=33) were 42.76±20.72 and 37.78±23.47 years, respectively (p=0.431). During the pandemic, garden/farm injuries increased while workplace injuries decreased. In Groups 1 and 2 respectively, time from trauma to admission was 461.4±1228.6 and 935.4±2039.6 min (p=0.342), time from admission to surgery was 604.2±679.8 and 392.7±306.9 min (p=0.125), and length of hospital stay was 7.23±4.96, and 3.78±2.28 days (p<0.005). All patients had a COVID-19 PCR test and all resulted negative. There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of the clinical features of the ocular and adnexal injuries, surgical interventions, or postoperative complications (p>0.05). Preoperative visual acuity was found to be an important prognostic factor associated with postoperative visual acuity.
Conclusion:
Globe injuries require urgent intervention in terms of visual morbidity. Patterns of injury differ during the pandemic due to both restrictions and lifestyle changes. During the pandemic, patients were discharged as soon as possible after emergency treatment to minimize the time spent in the hospital.
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