Investigation of the Frequency of Ocular Trauma among Outpatients in Gorgan (Iran): A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Abstract Introduction: Ocular traumas are among the most common ocular emergencies. These types of trumas, if not treated on time, may lead to irreversible injuries, such as vision impairment and, in some cases, blindness in people of different ages. The present study aimed to investigate the frequency of ocular trauma in patients referred to the Trauma Center of 5 Azar Hospital in Gorgan, Iran. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 349 outpatients with ocular trauma referred to the Emergency Department of 5 Azar Hospital in Gorgan, Iran, and census sampling was used for selection. All patients were first visited by a general practitioner and an emergency medicine specialist working in the emergency screening department, and if necessary, an ophthalmology consultation was carried out. Data were collected through the hospital information system, and then the demographic information, clinical characteristics of the patients, the type of trauma, and the treatments were extracted. Results: The frequency of penetrating and blunt trauma in outpatients was 39.8% (n=139) and 60.2% (n=210), respectively. The frequency of scleral laceration was 6%, and extraocular foreign bodies (EOFBs) was 34.1%, which 0.9% led to full-thickness corneal. A total of 4.6%, 6%, and 4.3% of the outpatients had traumatic eyelid laceration, eyelid ecchymosis, and conjunctival laceration, respectively. In addition, traumatic subconjunctival hemorrhage occurred in 8.9% of patients. The frequency of half-thickness corneal laceration and hyphema was 12% and 9.7%, in respective order. Conclusion: Many eye injuries could be prevented by raising awareness among people who work in unsafe places and parents about hazards that threaten children at home and school. Since foreign bodies (FBs) are one of the most frequent problems associated with eye trauma and the best treatment is primarily preventive, we must reduce this complication by providing and using safe equipment and monitoring its use.