Pattern of Ocular Injuries Following Road Traffic Accidents Seen at a Tertiary Eye Hospital

Traffic trauma can lead to ocular damage. Open globe injuries usually have a poor prognosis, which can be ameliorated by prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Nonetheless, few studies have focused on the visual outcomes of patients following traffic accidents. In this study, we aimed to examine the characteristics and prognosis of ocular complications in patients following traffic accidents at a specialized tertiary eye hospital.

We classified 44 patients from traffic accidents (88 eyes) into groups with equal or better (better group) and worse (worse group) corrected-distance visual acuity than a logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution 0 at the initial presentation. Final corrected-distance visual acuity, intraocular pressure, corneal injury, presence of traumatic cataracts, and treatment were compared between the groups. In addition, a multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with the final visual acuity.

Globe contusion, orbital blowout fracture, traumatic iritis, and trochlear nerve palsy were observed in 14.8%, 3.4%, 2.3%, and 2.3% of the patients, respectively. Topical instillation and ophthalmological treatment/surgery were performed in 17.0% and 9.1% of the patients, respectively. The better group (68 eyes) had significantly better final visual acuity than the worse group (20 eyes) (P < 0.001). However, there was no between-group difference in demographic characteristics. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that there was a significant correlation between the initial and final visual acuities (P < 0.001).

Assessing visual acuity at the initial presentation is crucial for predicting the final visual acuity. Our findings will help to inform ophthalmologists aiming to improve the prognosis and treatment of ocular trauma in patients following traffic accidents.