Gardening hazards to vision: Patterns of eye injuries in emergency care

To characterize the demographics and diagnoses of garden tool-related eye injuries presenting to United States emergency departments (EDs).

Eye injuries associated with gardening tools from 2014 to 2023 were identified using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS). Cases involving the eyeball and relevant product codes were analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear regression.

A total of 218 cases represented an estimated 9326 ED visits (95 % CI: 7001-11,652). Although injuries declined overall (Beta = -43.5), a 132.2 % increase occurred from 2020 to 2023, likely reflecting increased gardening post-pandemic. Adults (78.4 %) and males (61.0 %) were most affected. Common diagnoses included contusions/corneal abrasions (53.7 %), foreign bodies (13.3 %), and subconjunctival hemorrhage/hyphema (10.1 %). Environmental debris was the most frequent cause.

Gardening tool-related eye injuries primarily affect adults and are often caused by debris, leading to largely preventable outcomes such as abrasions. Promoting protective eyewear and public education may help reduce these injuries.