A Prospective Study of Clinical Profile and Morbidity of Ocular Trauma in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Introduction:Ocular trauma is one of the major causes of preventable monocular blindness and visual impairment throughout the world. Common causes of ocular injuries include: chemical burns, heat, radiation, cut, scratch or blow to the eye. Around 90% of ocular injuries are preventable, so this study was conceptualized to study the pattern and epidemiology of ocular injuries in order to generate evidence for managing these injuries more effectively.Materials and Methods:This prospective, longitudinal study was carried out in 520 patients with ocular trauma. Ocular injuries were classified according to The Birmingham Eye Trauma Terminology (BETT) system. Final visual outcome was assessed at the end of 6 months. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 27 with Mcnemar test.Results:The 5-20 year olds had the highest overall rates of injury (45.96%), with a male to female ratio of 2:1. Most of the injuries occurred while doing agricultural or domestic work (31.9%). Wooden objects were most commonly involved in causing ocular injury (20.19%). Majority (54.4%) patients reached the hospital within 24 hours of injury. Cornea was the most commonly affected (54%) ocular structure. Closed globe injuries occurred in 90.38% cases and most of the patients had good visual acuity at presentation and at the end of six months.Conclusion:Ocular trauma can be prevented by creating public awareness regarding use of safety measures. The visual outcome depends on the site, size, type and extent of ocular damage, the period between the time of injury and initiation of treatment.