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Epidemiology of pediatric ocular injuries in Poland: cross-sectional study
Ewa Toruńska1, Piotr Engelgardt2,3, Maria Szwajkowska4
1Department for Opinion, Faculty of Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland. ewatorunska12@gmail.com.
Insights
Pediatric eye injuries are common, especially in young males due to active mechanisms. While most cases don't cause permanent vision loss, they often lead to temporary visual acuity reduction.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Trauma
- Public Health
Background:
- Ocular trauma in children can lead to lasting visual impairments and affect development.
- Epidemiology of pediatric eye injuries varies with age, gender, and socio-environmental factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the epidemiology of ocular injuries in children in Poland.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective, observational study of pediatric patients (up to 18 years) admitted with eye or orbital injury.
- Data collected from June 2015 to December 2023 at a specialized children's hospital in Olsztyn, Poland.
- Injuries categorized by mechanism, tool, and perpetrator; visual acuity decrease classified using ICD-10.
Main Results:
- 590 patients studied; 66.61% males, predominantly aged 5-9 years.
- Active mechanisms caused 77.97% of injuries, often with non-blunt objects; self-inflicted injuries were significant.
- 121 cases (20.51%) showed decreased visual acuity, 11 patients (mostly males) were diagnosed with blindness, 6 with incomplete vision recovery.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric eye injuries are diverse, frequently occurring in young males via active mechanisms.
- Most injuries cause temporary visual acuity reduction, but some lead to permanent vision impairment.
- Open globe injuries and associated brain injuries were documented in a small percentage of cases.
Background:
Ocular trauma in children results in long-term visual impairments and affects the child's physical and psychosocial development. The variability in age, gender, and socio-environmental factors significantly determines their epidemiology. Consequently, this study aimed to characterize ocular injuries in children in Poland.
Methods:
This retrospective, observational study included patients up to 18 years old, admitted to the Emergency Department of the Regional Specialized Children's Hospital in Olsztyn, Poland, between June 2015 and December 2023, with diagnosed eye or orbital injury. Cases were categorized based on injury mechanism, tool utilized, and perpetrator. The decrease in visual acuity was divided according to ICD-10 - WHO.
Results:
Among 590 patients, 66.61% were males, mostly aged 5 to 9 years (32.37%). An active mechanism was responsible for most cases (77.97%), primarily involving the use of objects other than blunt, with a significant proportion of injuries being self-inflicted. Animal-inflicted injuries were most often observed among females. Males most frequently necessitated surgical procedures through active mechanisms. A decrease in visual acuity was observed in 121 cases (20.51%), with blindness diagnosed in 11 patients, mostly males, resulting from an active mechanism. Six of them did not fully recover their vision. Nineteen patients (3.22%) sustained open globe injuries, and two cases (0.34%) of brain injuries were documented.
Conclusions:
Eye injuries constitute a diverse category of trauma, often constrained only by the child's creativity and age. These injuries predominantly occur in young males through active mechanisms. While the majority do not result in permanent vision impairment, they frequently cause a temporary reduction in visual acuity.
