Ocular Trauma Characterization in a Reference Emergency Eye Centre in Colombia (FOSCAL)

Ocular trauma is one of the most important causes of ocular morbidity and inadequate visual acuity in developed and developing countries. In some countries, eye trauma is the leading cause of monocular blindness. Studies conducted in developing countries like Colombia suggest that there is a lack of awareness of preventive measures. In Colombia, there is no countrywide ocular trauma registry. The purpose of the present study is to describe and analyse characteristics of ocular trauma at a tertiary ophthalmology emergency department in Colombia.

Patients who consulted or were referred to the ophthalmologic emergency department of FOSCAL due to eye injuries between March 1, 2022, and January 10, 2023, were included in this cross-sectional study.

Of 1 957 patients, 2 088 eyes were included. Men comprised 78.5% of the patients, the median age was 36 years, and 75.0% lived in urban areas. The median latency between trauma and ophthalmology consultation was 21.8 hours. Of the eyes, 1 805 (88.4%) had suffered mechanical or mixed (mechanical plus burn) trauma. Of the injuries, 87.5% were unilateral. In terms of the circumstances, 45.9% of injuries occurred during working or educational activities (in 85.6% of these cases, without eye protection), 28.2% in home accidents, and 14.0% in transportation situations. According to the Birmingham Eye Trauma Terminology System (BETT), 1 735 eyes (91.1%) were closed globe injuries, and 49 eyes (2.7%) were open globe injuries. Fifty eyes (2.8%) could not be categorised according to BETT at the initial consultation and were classified as "still to be determined". In the Ocular Trauma Score (OTS), 85.8% were category 5. Of the ocular burn cases, 93.0% were categorised as grade I according to the Roper Hall classification.

In line with global literature, a much higher proportion of men than women sought consultation for ocular trauma. The findings suggest a need for improvement in the referral process from institutions with the lowest level of care. Lack of awareness about eye protection is an issue. Surgical exploration or additional tests may be necessary for precise injury classification. We therefore propose adding a "still to be determined" category to the BETT initial classification. These cases may be reclassified later, thus improving the accuracy of OTS calculation.