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Updated: Aug 30, 2025
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Anterior Segment Organ Culture Platform for Tracking Open Globe Injuries and Therapeutic Performance
Published on: August 25, 2021
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Comparison of Time-to-Surgery and Outcomes in Transferred Vs Non-Transferred Open Globe Injuries
Elise O Fernandez1, Hannah M Miller2, Vincent Q Pham3
1School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Clinical Ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.)
|August 29, 2022
Summary
Inter-hospital transfer of open globe injuries causes significant surgical delays and worse visual outcomes. Prompt surgical closure is crucial for optimal results in eye trauma patients.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Trauma Surgery
- Public Health
Background:
- Timely surgical intervention is critical for optimal visual outcomes in open globe injuries.
- Delays in primary closure of open globe injuries are associated with poorer visual prognoses.
- Understanding the impact of inter-hospital transfers on treatment timelines is essential for improving patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of inter-hospital transfer on the time to surgical intervention for open globe injuries.
- To compare the final visual outcomes of transferred versus non-transferred open globe injury patients.
- To identify potential delays in care associated with transfer protocols for ocular trauma.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study analyzing data from a tertiary care trauma registry (2005-2020).
- Patients with open globe injuries were categorized into 'transfer' and 'non-transfer' groups based on pre-surgical treatment location.
- Key data points included demographics, injury time, surgical intervention time, and final visual acuity (logMAR).
Main Results:
- A total of 238 open globe injuries were analyzed; 197 were transferred, and 41 were not.
- Transfer patients experienced significantly longer delays from injury to surgery (average 3 hours 51 minutes longer) and injury to tertiary care arrival.
- Transfer patients had poorer average final visual acuity (1.84 logMAR) compared to non-transfer patients (1.35 logMAR).
Conclusions:
- Inter-hospital transfer significantly delays primary closure of open globe injuries.
- Transferring patients before surgical intervention is associated with worse final visual acuities.
- Optimizing transfer protocols and reducing delays are crucial for improving outcomes in open globe injuries.
