A five year retrospective study of the epidemiological characteristics and visual outcomes of pacients hospitalized for ocular trauma in Bălți, Moldova

Abstract

Introduction. Eye trauma is an important cause of unilateral visual impairment worldwide. Most ophthalmologists encounter patients with eye damage, which could range from small epithelial erosions to ruptures of the eyeball. Therefore, the consequences would range from a minimal deficit to a considerable loss of vision, with significant socio- economic and psychological impact. Aim of the study. To describe the epidemiological characteristics, the clinical features and the visual outcomes of ocular trauma in Bălți, Moldova. Materials and methods. All cases of ocular trauma admitted to Bălți Municipal Clinical Hospital from January 2008- December 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Age, gender, the affected eye, causes, types of ocular trauma, time interval from injury to hospitalisation, initial visual acuity (VA), management and final visual acuity were documented. We also referred to the Ocular Trauma Score (OTS) in evaluating the final visual outcome. Results. The study includes 88 patients, 88 traumatized eyes. The number of traumas recorded in men is higher than in women (76.14% and 23.86% respectively, with a male- to- female ratio of 3.19: 1). The largest age group is 45-59 years (22 cases, 25%), followed by the ≥ 60 years group (19 cases, 21.59%) and the 15-29 years (18 cases, 20.45 %). 45 patients suffered trauma of the right eye (51.14%), 43- of the left eye (48.86%). 65 patients addressed in the first 24 hours (73.86%), 6 patients (6.82%) addressed within 25-48 hours, 7 patients (7.95%) in 2- 4 days and 10 patients (11.36%) in more than 4 days. Open eye injuries were the most common (52, 59.09%). Closed traumas account 22.73%, combustions- 17.05%, and destructive traumas- 1.14%. Initial VA significantly correlated with the final VA (Spearman’s test, r= 0.778, p<0.001). Conclusions. Eye trauma is one of the main causes of unilateral blindness and has a negative impact on the patient's psychological and socio- economic status. The male gender is especially prone to eye trauma. The most common traumatic mechanism was penetrating trauma.