Background: Ocular injury is a leading cause of monocular blindness in children. However, data on the association of injury type with ophthalmological complications are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the risk factors of pediatric ocular injuries related to ophthalmological complications.
Methods: This retrospective, observational study was conducted in a pediatric emergency department (ED) in Japan from March 2010 to March 2021. Patients aged less than 16 years presenting with ocular trauma, diagnosed on the basis of the International Classification of Diseases 10: S05, 0-9, were enrolled. Emergency department follow-up visits for the same complaint were excluded. The patients' sex, age, arrival time, injury mechanism, symptoms, examinations, diagnosis, history of urgent ophthalmological consultation, outcomes, and ophthalmological complications were investigated. The primary endpoints were the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of the incidence of ophthalmological complications, defined as any new acute complaint or worsening/persistence of an initial complaint following or resulting from ocular trauma.
Results: In total, 469 patients were analyzed. The median age was 7.3 years; the interquartile range (IQR) was 3.1-11.5 years. The most common diagnosis was contusion (79.3%), followed by lamellar laceration (11.7%). Seven patients (1.5%) had ophthalmological complications during follow up. Bivariate analysis demonstrated that daytime ED visit, impact with a sharp object, animal-related injury, visual impairment, decreased visual acuity, and open globe injury were factors significantly associated with ophthalmological complications.
Conclusion: Daytime ED visit, impact with a sharp object, animal-related injury, visual impairment, decreased visual acuity, and open globe injury were independent factors of ophthalmological complications.
Keywords: Ocular trauma; child; risk factor.
© 2023 Japan Pediatric Society.