Childhood ocular trauma in Mosul City

Abstract EN

Objective : To describe the epidemiology of ocular trauma in children 15-years and younger living at Mosul city and its periphery who underwent evaluation for a two year period from November 2007 to November 2009 in the emergency department in Al-Jumhory Teaching Hospital.

Methods : A retrospective study ; review of the medical records of children aged 15 years and less.

Records of (393) children with 415 incidents of eye injury were included in the study, of whom (22) were initially treated for bilateral ocular trauma.

Results : Most patients (64.9 %) were boys.

The highest proportion of injuries (44.4 %) occurred at home, followed by street and roads (28.6 %).

Blunt (35.1 %) and sharp (22.6 %) objects represents most frequent cases of trauma.

Closed globe injuries were far more frequent than open-globe injuries for boys (82.4 % vs 17.6 %).

Of those with the closed-globe injuries, 253 injuries (80.0 %) registered an initial visual acuity of greater than 6 / 18, whereas 31 open–globe injury (52.5 %) registered an initial visual acuity of less than 6 / 60.

Most closed-globe injuries (223, 92.1 %) did not cause final visual impairment in the affected eye, whereas 26 open-globe injuries (53.3 %) caused severe visual impairment or blindness.

Conclusions : A good proportion of the accidents represent in this study could have been avoided.

A data demonstrate a clear need for primary prevention and control measures.