Mahmooda Soni, Inayat Ullah Khan, Zahid Jadoon.
The Pattern of Ocular Trauma in Patients at Govt. Naseerullah Khan Babar Memorial Hospital, Peshawar.
Ophthalmol Update Jan ;13(4):271-5.

Background: Govt. Naserullah Baber Memorial Hospital Kohat Road Peshawar (NBMH) is a main leading provincial hospital situated in an industrial estate and a catchment area of surrounding rural population of approximately one million people. Ocular trauma is frequently seen in patients attending the Eye OPD of NBMH. Aims & Objective: To determine the prevalence, incidence, pattern and causes of ocular trauma and its complications in patients presenting to the Eye OPD at Nasirullah Baber Memorial Hospital Kohat Road Peshawar so that effective preventive measures can be planned and implemented to prevent ocular trauma in this community. Materials & Methods: A total of 55704 patients attended the Eye OPD between 2010-2014, out of which 3218 (5.7%) patients had sustained some form of ocular trauma. The majority of patients affected were young adult males 2958 (85%) while 278 (11%) were females and 131 (4.0%) were children below 15 years. Refer table 1. The preponderant age group affected was the first two decades of life 16-25 -35 years (51%) refer table 2. As this is industrial estate area, approximately (92%) injuries occurred in young adult males, at work, (mostly Foreign bodies on cornea. Comparatively less ocular trauma was seen in females (8.6%) mostly at home due to (alkali, lime burns, thermal burns to the eye from pressure cooker blast, domestic fights etc). Refer Table 3. This was a retrospective study, conducted at Eye the OPD of Nasiurllah Babar Memorial Hospital, Peshawar, using data of ocular trauma retrieved from 2010-2014. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 16. Results: The commonest causes were corneal foreign bodies due to hammer and chisel injuries (81.54%) agricultural trauma (12%) chemical injuries (2.98%) thermal burns (0.49%) Arc welding (0.49%) blunt ocular trauma (with fist or pen, cricket ball) (1.98%). Serious globe injuries due to road traffic accidents were less commonly seen (0.49%) refer table 4. No visual impairment (VA 6/6 -6/18) was seen in 2063 (64.10%), visual impairment (VA < 6/18 ? 6/60) in 395 (12.27%) and severve visual impairment occurred in (VA < 6/60 3/60) 183 (5.6%). Blind by WHO Definition < 3/60 ? NPL) was seen in 280 (8.70%) patients It was unilateral blindness due to corneal infection / corneal opacities. Refer Table 5. Bilateral trauma was observe in 155 (4.8%). Refer Table 3. Complications observed were corneal foreign bodies siderosis in (80%) Traumatic hyphema in (4%) Traumatic mydryiasis, in (3%) traumatic cataract in (1%), Fungal keratitis (2.5%) and or corneal abscess was seen in (7%), while recurrent corneal erosions occurred in (0.5%) of cases and conjunctival tear / cyst in (1%). Refer table 7. Conclusion: This study highlights the incidence, causes and complications of ocular trauma in young adult males of this industrial estate area. The study emphasizes the need for health education, creating awareness and importance of searing appropriate protective devices at work to prevent ocular trauma. Government and health policy makers could play important role in prevention of ocular trauma by imposing and implementing protective eye health policies.

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