ABSTRACT
Purpose:
To evaluate serious eye trauma requiring admission for treatment at a university hospital.
Methods:
This was a retrospective study involving 303 patients with severe ocular trauma who required hospitalization at the Hospital of the Faculty of Medicine of Botucatu - Unesp, from January 1998 to December 2008. Demographic data were evaluated and also the causes of accidents, factors involved, initial and final visual acuity (VA) as well as the procedures performed. Data were statistically analyzed.
Results:
Three hundred and seven severe eye traumas were admitted for surgery, most commonly affecting subjects between the ages of 26 and 40 (26%) who were male (82%). The trauma affecting adults occurred due to work or traffic accidents and in children, during leisure time or in the domestic environment. The cornea (75%) and area I (82%) was the most affected place. A penetrating trauma was most frequent, and the main causal agent was glass (18%), mainly affecting farmers (41%). The majority of the affected patients were not wearing protective equipment at the time of the ocular trauma. After surgery, the AV remained below 0.1 in 48% of affected individuals. The time between trauma and treatment influenced the visual prognosis.
Conclusion:
Severe eye trauma remains an important cause of morbidity and preventable monocular blindness. Although the severity of the ocular traumas, surgical treatment that is well conducted can minimize the damage to visual function and should reinforce the need for preventive measures.
Keywords:
Eye injuries/epidemiology, Eye injuries/therapy; Prognosis
