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Demographic, Clinical Profile and Management Outcomes of Ocular Chemical Injuries in Saudi Children
Huda Al-Ghadeer1, Mohammed Al Amry1, Khalid A Aldihan2
1Emergency Department, King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Insights
Chemical eye burns in children often lead to poor visual outcomes, even after treatment. Public health efforts are crucial for preventing these injuries and improving prognosis.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Chemical eye injuries in children represent a significant medical emergency.
- These injuries can result in severe and potentially permanent ocular damage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the factors influencing chemical eye burns in Saudi children.
- To evaluate the management outcomes and visual acuity one year post-treatment.
Main Methods:
- A single-armed cohort study included 185 eyes from 147 children (aged 16 and under) with chemical burns treated between 2009 and 2021.
- Data collected included demographics, injury details, and treatments received.
- Ocular injury severity was graded using a modified Roper-Hall classification, with outcomes assessed by best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at one year.
Main Results:
- The study identified male gender, acid burns, and home accidents as common factors.
- One year post-treatment, a significant proportion of eyes (46.5%) experienced severe visual impairment (SVI).
- Poor visual outcomes were correlated with increased chemical burn severity (RR = 1.45, P=0.04).
Conclusions:
- Visual outcomes for pediatric chemical eye burns remain concerning one year after management.
- There is a critical need for public health initiatives focused on preventing chemical eye injuries in children.
- Preventative measures are essential to mitigate the risk of poor visual prognosis associated with these injuries.
Background:
Eye injuries in children due to chemicals constitute a medical emergency since they result in severe ocular damage.
Objective:
To determine the factors and management outcomes of chemical burns in the eyes of Saudi children. The study was performed at a tertiary eye center in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Methods:
Children aged 16 years and under who had ocular chemical burns from 2009 to 2021 were enrolled in a single-armed cohort study. Data collection was done on patient demographics, injury type, and previous treatment. A modified Roper-Hall classification was used to grade the ocular injuries. The research study revealed the outcome to be best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), one year after presentation and management.
Results:
This study included 185 eyes from 147 children with chemical burns. The main profile of this study comprised the following categories: male (72.1%), grade 4 injury (27.6%), injury by acid (57.1%), burns at home (66%), and first aid was given to (35.4%) of the children. One year after treatment, there were 58 (31.4%) eyes with BCVA from 20/20 to 20/60, 31 cases (16.8%) with BCVA from 20/60 to 20/200, and 86 (46.5%) cases with severe visual impairment (SVI). Treatments included the release of symblepharon in 34 (18.4%) eyes and amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) in 27 (14.6%) eyes. Poor visual outcomes were correlated with chemical burn severity (RR = 1.45, P=0.04). First aid administration (P = 0.86) and type of chemical (acid vs non-acid) (P = 0.83) did not differ significantly in association with SVI at the one-year follow-up.
Conclusion:
Visual outcomes of chemical burns in children were not promising even after one year of treatment. Public health initiatives are critical to prevent chemical burns in mitigating the poor visual prognosis.
