Presentation and Management Outcomes of Corneal and Scleral Perforations in Geriatric Nursing Home Residents

Disparities in discharge patterns of admitted older patients with ocular trauma

PURPOSE

In older patients, poor vision from ocular trauma increases the likelihood of further injuries and repeat hospitalizations, underscoring the need for appropriate post-hospitalization care. We sought to evaluate disposition patterns of older patients admitted with ocular trauma.

METHODS/MATERIALS

This retrospective observational study analyzed the National Trauma Data Bank (2008-2014) and de-identified data of patients, ≥65 years old, admitted with ocular trauma were identified using ICD-9CM and E-codes. Age, gender, race/ethnicity, type of ocular injury, comorbidities, Injury Severity Score (ISS), Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, length of hospital stay, location and US region, insurance, and discharge disposition were extracted. Analysis was performed with student's t-test, Chi-squared test, and odds ratios (OR) using SPSS software. Statistical significance was set at P <.05.

RESULTS

58,074 (18.3%) of 316,485 patients admitted with ocular trauma were >65yrs. 26,346 (45.4%) were discharged home and 23,314 (40.1%) to an advanced care facility (ACF). Nursing home residents were most likely to return to ACF (OR, 4.76; 95%CI, 4.40-5.14; P < .001). Patients with severe traumatic brain injury (Glasgow coma score [GCS]<8) (OR, 4.57; 95%CI, 4.09-5.11; P < .001), very severe injury severity score (ISS ≥24) (OR, 3.73; 95%CI, 3.46-4.01; P < .001), females (OR, 1.27; 95%CI, 1.23-1.32; P < .001), white patients (OR, 1.29; 95%CI, 1.24-1.36; P < .001) and Medicare beneficiaries (OR, 1.14; 95%CI, 1.09-1.19; P < .001) were most likely to be discharged to an ACF. Demography-related discharge propensities prevailed nationwide and within insurance categories. Multivariate regression analysis revealed factors determining ACF placement were, in order: length of hospital stay, nursing home residency, GCS<8, ISS>24, female gender, white race, and Medicare insurance.

CONCLUSIONS

Hispanic, black, male, and self-paying patients were disproportionately discharged home. Ocular injuries had low impact on ACF placement. Understanding these disparities will assist in developing guidelines for appropriate and equitable post-trauma rehabilitation in this vulnerable population.

Prevalence of Eye Conditions, Utilization of Eye Health Care Services, and Ophthalmic Medications After Entering Residential Aged Care in Australia

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate the burden and trends of eye diseases, utilisation of eye health care services, and ophthalmic medications among older people living in residential aged care facilities in Australia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Registry of Senior Australians. Individuals aged ≥65 years who entered permanent residential aged care facilities between 2008 and 2015 were included. The prevalence (95% confidence interval [CI]) of eye diseases by year, eye health care services, and ophthalmic medication use within a year of entry into the service were evaluated. Poisson regression models estimated adjusted rate of change using prevalence ratio (PR) by age, sex, state, and frailty scores.

Results

Of the 409,186 people studied, 43.6% (N = 178,367) had an eye condition. Of the total cohort, 32.9% (N = 134,566) had chronic eye conditions and 19.7% (N = 80,661) had an acute eye condition. Common chronic eye conditions were glaucoma (13.6%, N = 55,830), cataract (8%, (N = 32,779), blindness (4.5%, N = 18,856), and poor vision (10.3%, N = 42,245). Prevalence of any eye condition (2008: 42.7%, 95% CI = 42.2%-43.2% and 2015: 41.2%, 95% CI = 40.8-41.6%, PR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.99-0.99, P < 0.001), acute eye conditions (2008: 19.8%, 95% CI = 19.4%-20.2% and 2015: 17.4%, 95% CI = 17.1%-17.6%, PR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.97-0.98, P < 0.001), and blindness (2008: 5.2%, 95% CI = 5.0%-5.4% and 2015: 3.7%, 95% CI = 3.5%-3.9%, PR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.93-0.94, p < 0.001). decreased over the study period. The prevalence of glaucoma (2008: 13.5%, 95% CI = 13.2%-13.8% and 2015: 13.8%, 95% CI = 13.5%-13.7%; PR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.99-1.10, P < 0.001) and cataract (2008: 7.4%, 95% CI = 7.2%-7.7% and 2015: 8.5%, 95% CI = 8.3%-8.7%, PR = 1.00, 95% CI = 1.00-1.01, P < 0.001) remained stable or slightly increased. Overall, 46.4% (N = 82,769) of individuals with eye conditions, accessed at least one eye health service within the first year of entering residential care and 70.5% (N = 125,673) used at least one ophthalmic medication. Optometric services (41.7%, N = 74,358) were the most used eye health care services and anti-infective eye drops (37.2%, N = 66,331) were the most commonly dispensed medications.

Conclusions

The prevalence of blindness among older Australian using residential aged care services decreased over the study period. However, the burden of eye diseases remained high between 2008 and 2015, whereas the use of eye health care services was disproportionately low. This study provides evidence of a significant need for eye health care services for older people with an eye disease in residential aged care facilities.

Translational Relevance

Four in ten long term aged care residents in Australia had at least one eye condition over the study period, indicating potential for a high eye health care needs in aged care settings.

Damage to the eye and optic nerve in seriously traumatized patients with concomitant head injury: analysis of 84,627 cases from the TraumaRegister DGU® between 2002 and 2015

BACKGROUND

To determine the prevalence and characteristics of prechiasmatic visual system injuries (VSI) among seriously injured patients with concomitant head trauma in Europe by means of a multinational trauma registry.

METHODS

The TraumaRegister DGU® was searched for patients suffering from serious trauma with a Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) ≥ 3 between 2002 and 2015 in Europe. After excluding cases without significant head injury defined by an AIS ≥ 2, groups were built regarding the existence of a concomitant damage to the prechiasmatic optic system comprising globe and optic nerve. Group comparisons were performed with respect to demographic, etiological, clinical and outcome characteristics.

RESULTS

2.2% (1901/84,627) of seriously injured patients with concomitant head trauma presented with additional VSI. These subjects tended to be younger (mean age 44.7 versus 50.9 years) and were more likely of male gender (74.8% versus 70.0%) compared to their counterparts without VSI. The most frequent trauma etiologies were car accidents in VSI patients (28.5%) and falls in the control group (43.2%). VSI cases were prone to additional soft tissue trauma of the head, skull and orbit fractures as well as pneumocephalus. Primary treatment duration was significantly longer in the VSI cohort (mean 23.3 versus 20.5 days) along with higher treatment costs and a larger proportion of patients with moderate or severe impairment at hospital discharge despite there being a similar average injury severity at admission in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

A substantial proportion of patients with head injury suffers from additional VSI. The correlation between VSI and prolonged hospitalization, increased direct treatment expenditures, and having a higher probability of posttraumatic impairment demonstrates the substantial socioeconomic relevance of these types of injuries.

Major ocular trauma in Taiwan: 2002-2004 versus 2012-2014

We investigated the temporal changes in major eye injuries in Taiwan by reviewing the medical records of all patients with ocular trauma hospitalized at the National Cheng Kung University Hospital during 2002–2004 and 2012–2014. A total of 169 eyes (161 patients) during 2002–2004 and 121 eyes (120 patients) during 2012–2014 were enrolled (mean ± SD age: 41.9 ± 20.8 years in 2002–2004, and 51.8 ± 19.3 years in 2012–2014). Males accounted for ~75% of patients. The most frequent injury-causing object was metallic material (~24%), and blunt traumas were most frequently attributable to traffic accidents and falls. The most common locations of injuries for males and females were the workplace and home, respectively. Open-globe injuries occurred in ~70% of eyes, requiring primary repair, cataract extraction, and/or intraocular lens implantation. The frequencies of fall injury, lacrimal system laceration, lens injury, corneal/scleral foreign bodies, and use of intracameral antibiotics increased from 2002–2004 to 2012–2014, while those of closed-globe injury, vitreous haemorrhage, optic nerve injury, and medical treatment decreased. The final visual acuity remained poor (≤20/200) in >1/3 of injured eyes. Despite therapeutic advancements, major eye injuries still pose a high risk for poor visual outcome.

Correlation Between Vision and Cognitive Function in the Elderly: A Cross-Sectional Study

The correlation between vision and cognition is not fully understood. Visual impairment in the elderly has been associated with impaired cognitive function, dementia, and Alzheimer disease. The aim was to study the correlation between near visual acuity (VA), refraction, and cognitive state in an elderly population.Subjects ≥75 years were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Refraction and near VA was tested. Cognitive function was evaluated with a version of the mini-mental state examination for the visually impaired (MMSE-blind). The eye with better VA and no cataract or refractive surgery was analyzed.One-hundred ninety subjects (81.6 ± 5.1 years, 69.5% female) were included. Good VA (≤J3) was associated with high MMSE-blind (>17) (OR = 3.18, 95% CI = 1.57-6.43, P = 0.001). This remained significant adjusting for sex, age, and years of education. Wearing reading glasses correlated significantly with high MMSE-blind after adjustment for sex and age (OR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.16-3.97, P = 0.016), but reached borderline significance after adjustment for education. There was a trend toward correlation between myopia and better MMSE-blind (r = -0.123, P = 0.09, Pearson correlation).Good VA and wearing glasses seem to correlate with better cognitive function. Reading glasses can serve as a protective factor against cognitive deterioration associated with sensory (visual) deprivation in old age. The association between myopia and cognition requires further investigation.