TY - JOUR
T1 - Penetrating Eye Injuries Related to Assault
T2 - The National Eye Trauma System Registry
AU - National Eye Trauma System Investigators
AU - Dannenberg, Andrew L.
AU - Parver, Leonard M.
AU - Fowler, Carolyn J.
PY - 1992/6
Y1 - 1992/6
N2 - From 1985 to 1991, 648 cases of assault-related penetrating ocular injury were reported to the National Eye Trauma System Registry. We examined the circumstances surrounding and initial clinical findings related to this case series of injuries. Eighty-three percent of the patients were male. The median age was 28 years; 77% were younger than age 40 years, and 17% were younger than age 20 years. The ocular injury was part of multiple trauma in 34% of cases. There was evidence of alcohol and illicit drug use by at least 48% and 6% of the injured persons, respectively. Seventeen percent of the injuries involved powder or nonpowder firearms. Fists, glass fragments, metal rods or pipes, knives, and scissors were among the other objects causing injury. Posterior segment trauma, which occurred in 70% of cases, included vitreous hemorrhage (40% of cases), retinal detachment (11%), presence of intraocular foreign bodies (6%), and optic nerve damage (4%). The initial visual acuity after injury was hand motion or worse in 74% of the cases. Strategies to prevent such injuries focus on the origins of violence in general and are more difficult to devise than strategies to prevent eye injuries in other settings. Public health efforts to reduce the use of alcohol, drugs, and firearms may reduce the incidence of these injuries.
AB - From 1985 to 1991, 648 cases of assault-related penetrating ocular injury were reported to the National Eye Trauma System Registry. We examined the circumstances surrounding and initial clinical findings related to this case series of injuries. Eighty-three percent of the patients were male. The median age was 28 years; 77% were younger than age 40 years, and 17% were younger than age 20 years. The ocular injury was part of multiple trauma in 34% of cases. There was evidence of alcohol and illicit drug use by at least 48% and 6% of the injured persons, respectively. Seventeen percent of the injuries involved powder or nonpowder firearms. Fists, glass fragments, metal rods or pipes, knives, and scissors were among the other objects causing injury. Posterior segment trauma, which occurred in 70% of cases, included vitreous hemorrhage (40% of cases), retinal detachment (11%), presence of intraocular foreign bodies (6%), and optic nerve damage (4%). The initial visual acuity after injury was hand motion or worse in 74% of the cases. Strategies to prevent such injuries focus on the origins of violence in general and are more difficult to devise than strategies to prevent eye injuries in other settings. Public health efforts to reduce the use of alcohol, drugs, and firearms may reduce the incidence of these injuries.
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U2 - 10.1001/archopht.1992.01080180121039
DO - 10.1001/archopht.1992.01080180121039
M3 - Article
C2 - 1596234
AN - SCOPUS:0026681153
SN - 0003-9950
VL - 110
SP - 849
EP - 852
JO - Archives of ophthalmology
JF - Archives of ophthalmology
IS - 6
ER -