Epidemiological Profile of Pediatric Ocular Trauma in Hamadan, 2020

Abstract

Background and aims: Ocular traumas are among the most important causes of visual acuity loss and acquired unilateral blindness in children, with permanent effects on their psychological and social development. The epidemiology of ocular traumas, especially those of children in different societies, is affected by the culture and level of education, lifestyle, and socioeconomic level. Considering that no accurate statistics on these injuries have been reported in Hamadan, Iran, this study aimed to investigate the epidemiology of various types of injuries in children following ocular traumas in Hamadan. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 293 patients under 18 years of age with ocular trauma who were visited in Farshchian Sina hospital in 2019. A detailed medical history was obtained including demographic information, type of injury, initial and final visual acuity, cause of injury, mother’s occupational status, and the delay between trauma and the examination, and the examiner-recorded definitive care. Finally, the data were analyzed using Excel software, and a significance level of 0.05 was used. Results: Out of 293 patients examined, 38.91% were female, and 61.09% were male. Children aged 1-5 years (30.72%) were the most commonly affected group, followed by those aged 6-10 years (29.35%). There were 19 cases of chemical injury, 33 cases of penetrating trauma, and 241 cases of blunt trauma. The mean initial vision in patients was 0.31±0.347 logMAR, and the mean final vision was 0.06±0.084 logMAR. In 94 patients, it was impossible to check visual acuity due to their lower age. Besides, 49.83% of injuries happened at home. Conclusion: In this research, the most common type of ocular trauma was blunt trauma in male patients, which occurred at home in the presence of the mother. Therefore, it is obvious that the most effective way to prevent these incidents is that parents should pay more attention to their children, implement well-established safety precautions while playing at home, and use standard play equipment.