Profile of pediatric eye trauma at Hospital de Base do Distrito Federal (HBDF), Brasília, Brazil

Abstract

Objective: To describe the epidemiological profile of ocular trauma in children at the HBDF emergency department. Method: Descriptive, cross-sectional study. We evaluated 103 cases of ocular trauma in children less than 15 years between July 2012 and January 2013. The factors evaluated through semi-structured questionnaire available online were: age, gender, adult supervision, mechanism, type of trauma, time and place, site and nature of injury, visual acuity, need for hospitalization and/or surgery, type of surgery, mother's level of education, and family income. Results: The average age of patients studied was 7.5 years. Boys (68%) predominate in all age groups. Blunt trauma prevailed (55.3%), followed by open (20%). Most of the cases occurred at home, 14 to 20 hours before seeking hospital care. The most common causes were: wood, stone, bicycle, broken glass, and falls. The cornea was affected in 54%. Visual acuity was ≥20/40 in 68.9%. Primary repair of the eye wall was indicated in 70.37% (p-value=0.022). Open traumas were more severe (p-value=0.005) and had more need for intervention (p-value=0.000). The injuries occurred despite the presence of adult supervision in 54% (p-value=0.002). The most severe injuries predominated in the age range 7-15 years (p=0.001). Conclusion: Ocular trauma was more frequent among boys. The mechanisms of injury are the most diverse, and prevail at home. Blunt trauma prevails, but the visual impact is due to open trauma. Programs of prevention and education on child ocular trauma are needed.

Epidemiology of pediatric eye injuries requiring hospitalization in rural areas of Wenzhou and Changsha, China: a 10-year retrospective study

“…A low education level, lack of safety awareness and lack of protective eyewear may lead to the occurrence of eye injury. Additionally, we found that male children were more likely to be injured than female children, consistent with data from other studies [16,22,23].…”

Pediatric ocular trauma: A prospective cohort study on the globe rupture subgroup of open globe injuries

“…Most of the researchers have only broadly covered all the eye injuries in children [13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. Besides, several of the studies are concerned with small case series and are retrospective in nature [13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. Another key feature is that only a limited number of works have employed cross-sectional design [12].…”

Etiology of Ophthalmic Medicolegal Cases Presenting to Tertiary Care Hospital.

“…Open globe injuries required intervention and were prevalent in 7-15 ears age group. 19 Movahedinnejad T et al have studied the incidence and cases of ocular trauma presenting to a hospital in Iran. The study was dominated by male sample size comprising 86% of cases.…”