Demographics of the open-globe injuries in pediatric age group in northwest Turkey

Abstract

Introduction: Our aim was to investigate the pattern of open globe injury and assess the effect of age on different parameters of open globe injury in pediatric patients.Materials and Methods: The medical records of the patients under 18 years old who had open-globe injury were retrospectively reviewed. Age, gender, the cause of the trauma, presence of intraocular foreign body and the extent of the ocular damage were recorded.Results: The study was comprised of 79 patients (23 female, 56 male) with a mean age of 7.7+/-4.4 (range: 2-18 years). Thirty-nine patients were injured with a blunt tip object, 27 with a sharp object and one has rupture with trauma. Thirty-five injuries occurred outside and 45 at home. The season in which most of the injuries took place was summer (32%). Seventy-five percent of the injuries were noted in 11 years and under. The mean age subject to blunt tip object injury, organic body injury and outdoor injury was significantly higher compared to that of with sharp object, inorganic body injury and indoor injury.Conclusions: The open globe-injury rates in Northwest Turkey is found to be higher in smaller age groups. Making the parents aware of the danger and consequences of the trauma and avoiding the easily accessible sharp objects may decrease the trauma rates.