Presentations and Incidence of Ocular Injuries Caused by Motorcycle Accidents in Iraq

Abstract

Background Motorcycle accidents can be particularly hazardous, as riders are exposed to various risk factors, such as high speeds, lack of protective enclosures, and limited safety features. Aim of the study To describe the ocular injuries associated with motorcycled accidents presented to a tertiary center in Iraq. Patients and methods A multicenter cross-sectional (survey) study that involved 335 cases of motorcycle accidents that presented with unilateral or bilateral ocular trauma. The study was carried out at Ibn Al-Haitham Teaching Hospital, Al-Nauman Teaching Hospital, Al-Diwaniyah Teaching Hospital, and forensic centers located in Baghdad (Iraq capital) and Al-Qadisiyah from 1st of June 2019 to 1st of June 2023. Information regarding ocular injuries was recorded and classified according to the International Ocular Trauma Classification. Results The study involved 335 ophthalmological accidents; the mean age of the patients was 27.84± 9.6 years, most of them were males (96.7%), and there were only 11 females as passengers, 39 (11.6%) had injuries in both eyes. Lesions involving the periorbita, lids, and conjunctiva comprised most of the findings. There were 60.9% of patients with lid lacerations with or without sub-conjunctival bleeding, 22.1% with corneoscleral injury, and 17.9% with commotio retinae. It was the leading cause of decreased visual acuity, with 9% having lens capsule damage with or without iris prolapse and 8.1% having a ruptured capsule, 55.82% of patients had a mild injury, 27.16% had a moderate injury, and 17.01% had a severe injury. Conclusion Eye injury associated with motorcycle accidents mainly affect males in their youth age and has serious outcomes, sometimes ending with blindness.