Etiology, presentation and treatment of ocular trauma in paediatric population.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the etiology, presentation and treatment of ocular trauma in paediatric population. Study Design: Cross Sectional Study. Setting: Institute of Ophthalmology, Liaquat University Hospital Jamshoro. Period: January, 2020 to December 2020. Material & Methods: Data was collected using a questionnaire having age, sex, cause of injury and time at presentation to the emergency. It also focused on which structures were damaged due to injury, investigations being used, and treatment performed. Results: In our study we found 80 cases of ocular trauma in pediatric population visiting the ophthalmology department. Gender distribution of the study group which includes 72.5% (n=58) males and 27.5% (n=22) females. It was found during playing 86.3% of children had ocular trauma followed by injury due to domestic stuff like glass, bleach cleaners in 7.5% of the study group. The most frequently occurring ocular trauma was found to be corneal tear occurring in 25% of the study group. Conclusion: Ocular trauma in children can be prevented by simple measures like supervising children and educating parents and teachers for potential hazard substances. It is important to address like healthcare issue as ocular trauma can lead to lifelong blindness along with psychological and financial burden for the caretaker and children themselves.