Domestic ocular and adnexal injuries in Nigerians

A study of domestic ocular and adnexal injuries over an 18 month period at the Guiness Eye Centre Onitsha showed that they constitute 26.4% of all cases of ocular trauma. Women and children were at a greater risk of sustaining eye injuries from domestic activities. The activities leading to injuries in the 45 patients studied were fight, children's play, chopping firewood, plucking fruits/vegetables and corporal punishment; the injuries were inflicted by self; playmates, siblings, parents and husbands; the agents of injury were fist, missibles, sticks and other sharp objects, exploding bottles and human bite. Most patients presented more than one week after injury. Only 18 patients (40%) kept follow-up appointment. Among these visual acuity improved in 11 while 5 remained blind. The importance of these epidemiologic characteristics in relation to prevention of such injuries and reduction of ocular morbidity in established cases are discussed.