Purpose: The assessment of the epidemiological profile of patients victims of lime ocular burns, by the Ophthalmology Department of the Evangelic University Hospital of Curitiba, with emphasis on "Lime Bomb" burn cases. Methods: A study on 88 ocular lime burn patients (lime bomb or not), who came to the HUEC Emergency Service from September 1999 to September 2000. Results: Of 88 patients that were evaluated, 73 (82.95%) had suffered ocular lime burn in their working place and 15 (17.24%) had suffered it due to the `Lime Bomb" itself (local custom). Most of the patients that were examined were males, aged 20-40 years, with predominance of unilateral ocular burn and degree I in case of accident at the workplace, and bilateral and degree IV in case of "Lime Bomb". Conclusion: By comparing the studied groups, it is noticed that those with "Lime Bomb" burn show greater ocular health damage which was demonstrated in this study by means of bilaterality, injury severity and occurring in young patients.
Eye burns; Eye; Chemical burns; Alkalies; Occupational accidents; Hospital emergency service; University hospitals
