Pediatric ocular burns carry a risk of permanent vision impairment. This study identifies risk factors that place these patients at high risk of permanent visual complications. A retrospective review was conducted in our academic urban pediatric burn center. All 300 patients under 18 years of age admitted from January 2010 to December 2020 with periorbital or ocular thermal injuries were included. Variables analyzed included patient demographics, burn characteristics, ophthalmology consultation, ocular exam findings, follow up time period, and early and late ocular complications. Etiologies of burn injuries were as follows: 112 (37.5%) scald, 80 (26.8%) flame, 35 (11.7%) contact, 31 (10.4%) chemical, 28 (9.4%) grease, and 13 (4.3%) friction. Overall, 207 (70.9%) patients with ocular burns received an ophthalmology consult. Of these patients, 61.5% had periorbital cutaneous burns and 39.8% had corneal injuries, and only 61 (29.5%) presented for a follow-up visit. Ultimately, 6 had serious ocular sequelae, including ectropion, entropion, symblepharon, and corneal decompensation. While thermal burns involving the ocular surface and eyelid margins are relatively infrequent overall, they carry a small risk of serious to long-term sequelae. Recognizing those at greatest risk, and initiating appropriate early intervention is critical.

Introduction Pediatric burns commonly involve the face and periocular areas, with a risk of impairing vision. The aim of this study is to characterize ocular injuries in burn patients and identify the patients at most risk of ocular complications. Methods This study is a retrospective review within a single academic, urban pediatric burn center. All burn patients under 18 years of age admitted from January 2010 to December 2020 with periorbital or ocular involvement were included. Variables analyzed included patient demographics, burn characteristics, presence of ophthalmology consultation, ocular exam findings, follow up time period, and early and late ocular complications. Results In the study period, 2,781 patients were admitted to our burn center, 300 of whom had facial burns involving the eyes and/or eyelids. Etiologies of burn injuries were as follows: 112 (37.5%) scald, 80 (26.8%) flame, 35 (11.7%) contact, 31 (10.4%) chemical, 28 (9.4%) grease, and 13 (4.3%) friction. Overall, 70.9% of patients with ocular burns received an ophthalmology consult. Of these patients, 61.5% had periorbital swelling and 39.8% had corneal injuries. Of the 207 patients who were followed as inpatients by ophthalmology, only 61 (29.5%) presented for a follow-up visit, as recommended, 6 of which had serious ocular sequelae including ectropion, entropion, symblepharon, and corneal decompensation, and 4 of whom had a firework-related injury. Conclusions While burns involving the ocular surface and eyelid margins are infrequent overall, they can lead to long-term sequelae. Ophthalmology consultation is critical, particularly in the setting of chemical and firework-related injury. As ocular and periocular burns can cause immediate as well as delayed sequelae, ophthalmologic evaluation is a key component of assessment. Applicability of Research to Practice This paper characterizes ocular injuries in pediatric patients with facial burn injuries and identifies patients most at risk for ocular complications. We believe this will be valuable for many burn researchers and clinicians in order to better identify patients who could benefit from ophthalmologic evaluation and those at risk for both immediate as well as delayed sequelae from periocular burns.

analysis were used to further analyze data. Major complications were defined as unplanned readmission or reoperation. RESULTS:A total of 31,755 females were identified, all cancer related cases were excluded. Compared to previous studies, there was nearly double the total cases identified within the database over the last 5 years. Median age was 42.1, average BMI 30.8, and average operative time was 152 minutes. The overall major complication rate was 2.8%, similar to previous studies. Wound complication rate was 4.2%. Statistically significant factors of hypertension, bleeding disorder, diabetes, long-term steroid use, positive smoking status, high BMI and prolonged operative time were associated with increased risk of major complication. There was no significant difference in wound complication rate or major complication rates when stratified by specialty performing breast reductions. CONCLUSION:Well known risk factors for major complications that were previously identified using the NSQIP database continue to be demonstrated in recent data. These considerations should be taken into account on preoperative evaluation/discussions with patients undergoing breast reductions. Previously unexplored datapoints should be considered in future datasets such as marijuana use to further identify potential risks for complications.