Preventable Cause of Vision Loss: Demographic and Clinical Findings of Penetrating Eye Injuries
Öz
Abstract
Background/Aims: To raise awareness about the preventability of penetrating eye injuries and to contribute to the implementation of appropriate protective measures by identifying the causes and risk factors of such injuries.
Methods: Approval was obtained from the Local Ethics Committee of Selçuk University Faculty of Medicine for the study (12.03.2024, 2024/155). The files of patients who applied to the Department of Ophthalmology due to penetrating eye injury and underwent repair for penetrating eye injury between 2019-2023 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients' age, gender, the location where the trauma occurred, the incident causing the injury, the presence of a foreign body in the eye after the injury, and the need for repeated surgeries were examined, and the follow-up periods of the patients were recorded. The obtained data were analyzed using the SPSS software (version 22.0, IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA).
Results: A total of 107 patient files were included in the study. The most common trauma location was outdoor/garden/street at 41.12% (n=44), followed by workplace at 25.23% (n=27) and home at 23.36% (n=25). Among the causes of trauma, metal objects were the leading cause at 23.36% (n=25), followed by natural objects at 14.95% (n=16), and cutting/piercing tools at 11.21% (n=12). The most frequent injuries were corneal injuries (n=43, 40.19%). Thirty-seven patients required additional surgery, with the most common second surgery being cataract surgery (n=22, 20.56%). A foreign body inside the eye was detected in 24 patients.
Conclusions: Penetrating eye injuries are a significant cause of preventable vision loss. Public education, raising awareness, early intervention methods, and encouraging the use of protective equipment are critically important in preventing these injuries.
Keywords: eye health, penetrating eye injuries, preventable vision loss, protective eyewear
Anahtar Kelimeler
eye health, penetrating eye injuries, preventable vision loss, protective eyewear
Etik Beyan
This study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and received approval from the Local Ethics Committee of Selcuk University Faculty of Medicine (Approval Date: 12.03.2024, Approval Number: 2024/155).
Teşekkür
We would like to extend our gratitude to our colleagues Mustafa Yilmaz, Serife Harmankaya, Ayse Ozkerim from the Department of Ophthalmology for their help in the archival research.
Kaynakça
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