Causes and visual outcome of childhood eye injuries in Nigeria

Ocular injuries in a paediatric population at a child eye health tertiary facility, Ibadan, Nigeria

PURPOSE

To determine the pattern, causes and risk factors for ocular injuries amongst children presenting to a tertiary facility in Ibadan, southwest Nigeria METHODS: A retrospective review of clinical records of patients aged 16 years and below who presented with ocular injuries to the eye emergency unit between May 2010 and April 2016. Information extracted includes patient's demography, location and circumstances of injury, clinical findings, and management. Data was analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26.0. Descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated. Odds ratio were derived from regression models adjusted for confounders. Significance was set at a P-value of 0.05.

RESULTS

A total of 109 children were studied. Majority were boys (male to female ratio=2.9:1). The median age at presentation was 9 years. Injury occurred at home in 67 (61.5%) children, and at school in 30 (27.5%). More than half of the children were injured during play, 18 (16.5%) during corporal punishment, and 34 (31.2%) by accidents during domestic/schoolwork. Majority (73.4%) were closed globe injuries. The odds of injury with sharp objects and ocular trauma score of 4 or less was were 3.2 times (95% Confidence interval {CI}: 1.3-7.7) and 3.9 times (95% CI:1.4-11.4) higher in children aged 0-5 years respectively. The odds of open globe injury was 9.8 times (95% CI: 3.4-28.6) higher in injury from sharp objects. Wood/stick, cane, stone, broomstick and fist/palm/finger were the agents responsible for two-thirds of injuries.

CONCLUSION

This study revealed that children predominantly sustain ocular injuries at home and younger children have greater odds of severe injuries with profound implications for visual disability. Health education, adult supervision and the application of appropriate measures necessary for reducing the incidence and severity of childhood ocular trauma are advocated.

Epidemiology of ocular trauma in children requiring hospital admission: a 16-year retrospective cohort study

Background

To study the epidemiology of ocular trauma requiring hospital admission in children under 18 years in age.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included pediatric patients with ocular injuries at the Ophthalmology Department of the Clinical Hospital Centre, Split, Croatia, from 2000 to 2015, classified according to the Birmingham Eye Trauma Terminology.

Results

There were 353 children hospitalized, 82% of boys (mean age 11 years) and 18% of girls (mean age 10 years). The majority of traumas occurred in the outside environment (70%, n = 249), followed by occurrences at home (17%, n = 60), and at a school/nursery (8%, n = 28). Final visual acuity was 6/18 or better in 286 (96%) patients with closed globe injury and in 26 (49%) patients with open globe injury. Severe impairment of vision was found in 12 (4.4%) patients in the closed globe injury group and 26 (49%) patients in the open globe injury group. A statistically significant difference was found between final visual acuity and initial visual acuity in all patients (χ² = 12.8; P < 0.001).

Conclusion

The majority of pediatric eye injuries are happening in the outside environment and are preventable. Implementation of well–established safety precautions would greatly reduce this source of visual disability in children.

Eye Injuries Among Primary School Children in Enugu, Nigeria: Rural vs Urban

A cross-sectional survey of the prevalence of eye injuries among primary school children in two noncontiguous local government areas of Enugu State of Nigeria was undertaken. One of the local government areas was urban, while the other one was rural. Children who were <15 years in two randomly selected primary schools in the urban area and three randomly selected schools in the rural area were interviewed and examined with Snellen chart, pen torch, head loupe, and direct ophthalmoscope. The findings were recorded using a semi-structured questionnaire and the World Health Organization Programme for Prevention of Blindness (WHO/PBL) eye examination form. Training on visual acuity measurement was done for each of the class teachers. A total of 1,236 children <15 years of age were studied and analyzed. Slightly more females, 652 (52.8%), than males, 584 (47.2%), constituted the sample population giving a female/male ratio of 1.1:1. A total of 98 (7.93%) children had evidence of injury to the eye or its adnexa. Eyelid scar was the commonest (5.34%) followed by eyebrow scar (2.10%). Canthal scar was the next (0.32%). Two girls had monocular blindness from eye trauma (0.16%). One had leucoma, while the other had a dislocated lens. All the monocular blind children of this study were from the urban area. The home was the commonest environment for an eye injury (69.39%) followed by the school (20.41%). The farm was next in frequency (7.14%), especially among boys in the rural area. The church and the road/street constituted the remainder. Regarding persons causing the injury, the child's playmate was the commonest (55.10%) followed by self (27.55%). Parents and guardians were the next (9.18%). These were injuries associated with corporal punishment. Corporal punishment-related eye injury, according to this study, appears to be common in the rural area and affects boys predominantly. Other human intermediary agents that cause an eye injury include passersby (2.04%), RTA (2.04%), siblings (2.04%), and others (1.02%). The primary agents that caused an eye injury were sticks/wood, 29 (29.60%); stone, 21 (21.43%); pieces of metal, 19 (19.39%); fall, 10 (10.20%); fight/fist blow, 9 (9.918%); plastic, 2 (2.04%); fingernails, 2 (2.04%); farm tools/fruits, 2 (2.04%); and RTA, glass, and headbutt, each 1.02%. Farm implements/fruits as well as fingernails appear to be fairly common primary agents that cause an eye injury in the rural Enugu, Nigeria. In terms of prevalence, there was no significant difference between the urban and rural areas. The findings from this study showed a high prevalence of eye injury among primary school children. In terms of treatment, 58.16% of the children with an eye injury had no form of treatment for it. The children from this study with monocular blindness did not receive adequate medical treatment. Treatment of an eye injury, according to this study, was sought from chemists (19.39%), at hospital/health centers (16.33%), at home (3.06%), and from traditional healers (3.06%). The persons who treated an eye injury, as observed from this study, were doctors (14.29%), nurses (4.08%), chemists (17.35%), and traditional healers and fathers (3.06% each). The frequency of noninjury-related diagnosis made in this study was refractive error, 4.85%; allergic conjunctivitis, 1.94%; oculocutaneous albinism, 0.24%; prepapillary vascular loops, 0.40%; and then ptosis, exotropia, stye, corneal opacity, and retinitis pigmentosa, 0.08% each. The annual incidence of an eye injury according to this study was 3.48%. The majority of the causes of an eye injury, as per this study, were preventable. Appropriate promotion of preventive eye care among children may go a long way in reducing the burden of blindness from eye injuries.

Open globe injuries in Nigerian children: epidemiological characteristics, etiological factors, and visual outcome

PURPOSE

To evaluate the epidemiological characteristics, the etiological factors, the type and severity of injury, visual outcome, and prognostic factors of open globe injuries in children.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a retrospective non-comparative case study. A chart review was performed of patients aged 16 years or younger presented at the Eye Unit of the Federal Medical Centre Makurdi, Nigeria, between January 2001 and December 2006. Data were collected on patient demographics, geographic locale of injury, type of ocular injury and vision. Statistical significance was indicated by P < 0.05.

RESULTS

The study sample comprised 78 children. A statistically significantly greater number of males (n = 51) sustained injury compared to females (n = 27; P < 0.05). The mean age of the study sample was 9.7 ± 2.40 years (range, 1 year 2 months to 15 years 8 months). The age-group that sustained injury most commonly was 6 years to 10 years. Left eyes were more likely to be affected, accounting for 53 (68.0%) cases. There were 54% (n = 42) of patients injured at home and 51.0% (n = 40) were injured while playing. The most common injury was corneoscleral laceration, (67.9% [n = 24] eyes). Only 30.0% (n = 23) patients presented within the first 24 hours of the injury, 38.5% (n = 30) of patients were visually impaired and 25.6% (n = 20) patients were blind on presentation. Visual acuity at last follow up indicated that 39.7% (n = 31) patients were visually impaired and 39.7% (n = 31) were blind.

CONCLUSION

More public health efforts should be geared towards preventing potential causes of ocular injury at home and at playgrounds.

Clinical profile and visual outcome of ocular injuries in a rural area of western India

BACKGROUND

Ocular trauma is a major cause of visual impairment and morbidity worldwide.

AIMS

To identify the various type of ocular injury in a rural area, determine the presence of any associated visual damage and assess the final visual outcome after treatment.

METHOD

Hospital-based, prospective study conducted over a period of two years. A total of 60 patients of ocular trauma were included.

RESULTS

Ocular injuries were more commonly seen in adult (55 per cent) patients who were associated with agricultural work (43.33 per cent). They were more common in male patients (71.67 per cent). Closed globe injury (68.33 per cent) was more common than open globe injury (31.67 per cent). Both in open and closed globe injuries, the commonest object causing injury was a wooden stick. Just 26.7 per cent of the patients had a visual acuity better than 6/60 at presentation; while after completed treatment at two months follow-up, 68.3 per cent had best corrected visual acuity better than 6/60.

CONCLUSION

Agricultural trauma is an important cause of monocular blindness in rural India. The visual outcome depends upon the site and size of the injury and the extent of the ocular damage.

Epidemiology of penetrating eye injury in ibadan: a 10-year hospital-based review

PURPOSE

To assess risk factors associated with the occurrence of penetrating ocular injuries among patients presenting to an eye hospital at Ibadan, Nigeria.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

All cases of penetrating ocular injury presenting over a 10 - year period, were identified by retrospective chart review. All current cases of penetrating ocular injury identified were included. All information was obtained retrospectively from the medical records.

RESULTS

The cohort consisted of 135 cases. The follow-up was for an average period of 24.6 weeks (range, 12-312 weeks). Injuries were most likely to occur at home, in a domestic setting (58%). The most common mechanism of injury was projectile missiles hitting the eye. The age range for injuries was 9 months to 70 years. Penetrating ocular injury was most frequent in the 20-29 years group (31.9%) followed by the 0-9 years age group (31.1%). Males were more frequently involved than females (ratio 4:1). The final acuity was better than 6/18 in 14.8% and less than 3/60 in 59.3% of cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Penetrating ocular injury occurs, most frequently, in a domestic setting and mostly as a result of working with sharp objects. Preventive measures are recommended to reduce visual disabilities due to ocular injuries.

Eye injuries in children and adolescents: a report of 205 cases

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the causes, place, type and visual outcome of eye injuries necessitating hospitalization in children and adolescents.

METHODS

Consecutive patients with eye injuries aged <18 years admitted to a tertiary hospital over an 18-month period.

RESULTS

Two-hundred-five patients were hospitalized because of eye injuries over the study period. One-hundred-forty-six (71.2%) were males and 59 (28.9%) were females, for a ratio of 2.5:1. Preschool children made up 14.1% of the cases and 63.9% were in school, while 9.8% were apprentice artisans. Fewer than 23.4% (n=48) patients presented within 24 hours of injury. Injuries sustained at home occurred in 97 cases (47.3%) and at school in 44 (21.5%). Of the 54.6% of whose injuries were inflicted by others, 24.9% were inflicted by adults while meting out corporal punishment. Pointed objects (43.8%) and missiles (25.8%) were the common causative agents of injuries. Such agents were belts, canes, sticks, cutlasses and hoes. Penetrating eye injuries were the commonest type of injury (40.5%), followed by contusions (31.7%). Final visual outcome was < or = 6/60 in 88 (48.4%). Most eyes with poor visual outcome had penetrating injuries. Seventy-four (40.7%) had visual acuity > or = 6/18 and 8 eyes had evisceration.

CONCLUSION

Eye injuries in children and adolescents admitted to this tertiary hospital were severe. They occurred mostly at home and school and in circumstances that could be avoided. Health education and legislation could reduce the burden of injury-related blindness in the study area.

The Boston Keratoprosthesis in severe ocular trauma

BACKGROUND

In eyes with corneal disease and opacity so severe that standard corneal transplantation carries a poor prognosis, a keratoprosthesis (KPro) may still be successful in providing functional visual acuity. The purpose of this study was to determine the outcome of Boston KPro implantation in the rehabilitation of severe ocular trauma.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study of 30 eyes (30 patients) with severe ocular trauma that underwent Boston KPro type I implantation at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Of these 30 eyes, 6 had mechanical trauma, 21 had chemical burns, and 3 had thermal burns. The measures used in this review are 5-fold: (i) anatomic success; (ii) number of postoperative repair procedures performed; (iii) preoperative and postoperative visual acuity; (iv) number of eyes with concomitant preoperative retinal or optic nerve damage prior to KPro surgery; and (v) incidence of postoperative complications.

RESULTS

Preoperative visual acuity ranged from counting fingers to light perception (median: hand motion). Best-corrected postoperative visual acuity ranged from 20/20 to no light perception (median: 20/80). Anatomic success was achieved in 5 out of 5 mechanically traumatized eyes, 14 out of 17 eyes with chemical burns, and 3 out of 3 eyes with thermal burns. Repair procedures were done in 8 of the 17 chemically burned eyes. The number of eyes with concomitant preoperative ocular disease was 2 out of 6 in the mechanical trauma group, 10 out of 21 in the chemical burn group, and 1 out of 3 in the thermal burn group. The incidence of postoperative complications was greater in the chemical burn group than in either the mechanical trauma or the thermal burn group.

INTERPRETATION

The Boston KPro can provide considerable visual improvement and a long-term anatomic retention rate in severely traumatized eyes. The overwhelming danger in severe chemical burns is glaucoma progression despite a functioning tube implant and normal intraocular pressure.

Pattern of eye diseases and visual impairment among students in southwestern Nigeria

PURPOSE

The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and causes of eye diseases and visual impairment in students in the Ilesa East local government area of Osun state, Nigeria.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey that utilised a multistage random sampling method to select 1,144 primary and secondary school students.

RESULTS

A total of 1,144 students (504 males and 640 females) were involved in the study. Their ages ranged from 4 to 24 years. The majority (97.8%) of them were below 18 years of age. A total of 177 (15.5%) of the school children were found to have eye diseases. The major ocular disorders were in the following order: conjunctiva 91 (51.4%), refractive error 66 (37.3%), lid 7 (4.0%), corneal, including staphyloma and keratoconus 5 (2.8%) and then others. These included conjunctival diseases 91 (8%) constituted mainly by allergic/vernal conjunctivitis 85 (7.4%), refractive error 66 (5.8%), lid disorders 6 (0.6%), squint 3 (0.3%), corneal scarring 3 (0.3%) and cataract 2 (0.2%). A total of 15 students were visually impaired, with a prevalence of 1.26%. Only two students were blind, with a prevalence of 0.17%. Causes of visual impairment were refractive error 10 (0.87%), bilateral immature cataract 1 (0.08%), corneal opacities 2 (0.2%), amblyopia leading to squint 1 (0.08%) and cataract 1 (0.08%). The causes of blindness in students were bilateral corneal scars presumed to be due to vitamin A deficiency in one (0.08%) student and complicated bilateral keratoconus with complicated vernal ulcers in another (0.08%).

CONCLUSIONS

Eye diseases are common amongst Nigerian students. Eye examination for all new intakes and regular screening in both public and private primary and secondary schools is advocated. Wearing of corrective glasses should be emphasised for children with refractive error. Causes of blindness and visual impairment in children attending regular schools in Nigeria were avoidable.

Prevalence and causes of blindness and visual impairment among school children in south-western Nigeria

The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence and identify the causes of blindness and visual impairment in school children of Ilesa-East Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria. A total of 1144 school children in primary and secondary schools were selected using a 2-stage random sampling method and examined to determine the prevalence and causes of blindness and visual impairment. A total of 17 (1.48%) children were blind or visually impaired. These comprised of 11 (0.96%) children who were visually impaired and 4 (0.3%) who were severely visually impaired. Only 2 (0.15%) school children were blind. The causes of visual impairment were refractive error 10 (0.87%) and immature cataract 1 (0.08%), causes of severe visual impairment included corneal opacities 2 (0.2%), amblyopia leading to squint 1 (0.08%) and 1 cataract 1 (0.08%). The causes of blindness in school children were corneal scars presumed to be due to vitamin A deficiency 1 (0.08%) and keratoconus 1 (0.08%). Causes of blindness and visual impairment in children attending regular schools in Nigeria were treatable. Prevention, early recognition and prompt treatment of these diseases by regular screening of school children would definitely reduce unnecessary visual handicap in Nigerian school children so that they can attain their full potential in the course of their education. Also, information from this study is relevant for the purpose of planning eye care programmes for the prevention of blindness in Nigerian school children. This will go a long way in the prevention of unnecessary blindness and visual impairment in school children.

Les traumatismes oculaires chez les enfants âgés de 0 à 15 ans

PURPOSE

Ocular injuries in children are frequent and are an ophthalmological emergency. If not managed sufficiently early, these lesions may cause definitive partial loss of vision or blindness. In this survey, the authors analyze different epidemiological and clinical aspects of ocular injuries at the Bangui National Teaching Hospital in the Central African Republic to increase the awareness of children's parents, guardians, and care-takers.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A prospective study was conducted on 194 cases in the ophthalmology department over a period of 3 years, and included children aged 0-15 years. A total of 197 eyes were examined by the same practitioner, comprising 191 unilateral ocular injuries and three bilateral injuries.

RESULTS

Of the children examined, 59% were males and 41% were females, with a sex ratio of 1.3. The age group with the highest exposure (39.3%) was between 5 and 10 years. Punishments (25.9%), accidents during games (19.3%) and fights (18.8%) were the main sources of these ocular injuries. Consultation most often occurred long after the incident. Only 2.0% were seen before the 6th hour and 43.7% between 48 hours and 1 week. The clinical picture was dominated by bruises posing a therapeutic problem: 25 hyphemas (12.7%), 19 conjunctival injuries (9.6%), 19 lens dislocations with or without vitreous loss (9.6%), 18 trauma-induced cataracts (9.4%), and 15 eye lid injuries with or without lachrymal duct ruptures (7.6%). The most serious injuries were cornea injuries with or without hernia of the iris (19.8%) and nine globe dislocations (4.5%).

CONCLUSION

The frequency and gravity of the lesions identified, the severity of the injuries and the delay in treating these injuries show that the public authorities, parents and child care-takers need more information in order to reduce the frequency of these accidents.

Penetrating eye injuries in South African children: aetiology and visual outcome

PURPOSE

To assess the aetiology, prognosis, and visual outcome of penetrating eye injuries in South African children.

METHODS

In all, 100 consecutive patients, aged 16 years and under, with penetrating ocular injuries undergoing surgery between January 2001 and November 2002 were prospectively evaluated.

RESULTS

Most children (66%) were injured during play. In all, 55% of penetrating eye injuries occurred at home, and all injuries to children under the age of 6 years occurred there. Most injuries occurred in the absence of a caregiver (85%). Sticks, wire, and glass caused half of all injuries (48%). The most common mechanism of injury was impact with a sharp object (46%). Only 25% of injured presented to the hospital within 24 h of injury; the more severe the sustained injury and the younger the patient, the earlier was attendance at the clinic. Most patients (71%) regained best-corrected visual acuity (Snellen equivalent) of 20/200 or better, and 51% regained 20/40 or better. Patient age and delay of presentation were not of prognostic value. Indicators of poor visual outcome were identified as wound size greater than 11 mm in length, mixed corneoscleral type wounding, and involvement of the lens and posterior segment in the injury.

CONCLUSIONS

Penetrating eye injuries in African children, reviewed here, generally occur when children are at play in a domestic setting. Effective prevention should stress parental awareness, careful supervision, greater home safety, safe toys, and avoidance of hazardous games.

[Tropical ophthalmology--prevention and therapy"Vision 2020--the right to sight"]

Worldwide 45 million people are blind, 180 million people are visually handicapped, 90% of all blind people are living in developing countries and 80% of blindness is preventable. The global economic productivity loss due to blindness was estimated to be 19 billion US$ in the year 2000. The initiative "Vision 2020-the right to sight" aims to increase the cataract surgical rate and to eliminate diseases such as trachoma and onchocerciasis as well as avoidable blindness in children. It is planned that blindness in 100 million people can be avoided by the year 2020.

Eye injuries in childhood: a retrospective investigation of 88 cases from 1988 to 2000

PURPOSE

To assess the frequency, causes, mechanisms, and functional outcomes of eye injuries in childhood.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of the hospital files of patients younger than 12 years admitted to the Institute of Ophthalmology of Verona University for eye injuries from January 1, 1988, to December 31, 2000.

RESULTS

Eighty-eight cases of eye injuries (69 [78%] boys, 19 [22%] girls) were identified. The mean age at admission was 7.2 years. The most frequent causes of eye injuries were domestic accidents in patients younger than 6 years (25%) and accidents at play in those older than 6 years (35%). Scissors were the most frequent causative agents in children under 6 and toys, stones, and ball injuries in those over 6. Diagnoses, therapies implemented, ocular complications, and outcomes are reported.

CONCLUSIONS

The major causes of eye injuries in childhood are preventable; thus more adequate adult supervision and educational and legislative measures are necessary and useful in order to reduce prevalence and morbidity of these accidents.

Eye injuries in children: the current picture

AIMS

To investigate the current causes and outcomes of paediatric ocular trauma.

METHODS

A prospective observational study of all children admitted to hospital with ocular trauma in Scotland over a 1 year period.

RESULTS

The commonest mechanism of injury was blunt trauma, accounting for 65% of the total. 60% of the patients were admitted with a hyphaema. Injuries necessitating admission occurred most frequently at home (51%). Sporting activities were the commonest cause of injury in the 5-14 age group. There were no injuries caused by road traffic accidents or fireworks. Patients were admitted to hospital for a mean of 4.2 days (range 1-25 days). One (1%) child had an acuity in the "visually impaired" range (6/18-6/60) and one (1%) was "blind" (6/60) in the affected eye. No child was bilaterally blinded by injury and none required blind or partial sight registration.

CONCLUSION

This study has shown that the incidence of eye injuries affecting children has fallen. The outcome of ocular trauma has improved significantly, and for the first time paediatric injuries appear to have a better prognosis than injuries affecting adults.