Abstract
Purpose
To report trends in serious, sight-threatening ocular trauma in Scotland.
Methods
A prospective, population-based, observational study of patients with ocular trauma admitted to hospital in Scotland during a 12-month period (2008–2009), conducted through the British Ophthalmic Surveillance Unit. Data on circumstances of the injuries and visual outcomes were collected using protocols standardised to those from an earlier study (1991–1992) to allow direct comparisons over time.
Results
In all, 0.3% of all emergency admissions in Scotland were for ocular trauma. Significant differences were observed between the time periods in where an injury occurred (P=0.009): a reduction of those occurring in a sports/leisure facility (8.2%) and an increase in those occurring on the street (21.4%). Assaults remained the most common cause of injury (31%). Gender differences persisted with females more likely to have an injury from falls (OR=8.67; 95% CI: 2.41–31.49; P=0.002), or in the home (OR=5.40; 95% CI: 1.69–17.16; P=0.009 ), and less likely to have one in the workplace (P=0.06). Poor visual outcome was associated with injuries occurring in the home (OR=4.33, P=0.047), in a public place (OR=6.25, P=0.047), and those caused by a fall (OR 42.75, P<0.001); or assault (OR 7.29, P=0.019). Half of those with a poor outcome have no perception of light.
Conclusion
Serious ocular trauma remains an infrequent, sight-threatening event, associated with significant monocular visual morbidity. The findings suggest a shift from corporate to personal responsibility for risk awareness, health, and safety.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Tracy Sparey—Ophthalmology Secretary, University of Dundee, for project administration. Barny Foot, British Ophthalmic Surveillance Unit (BOSU), Royal College of Ophthalmologists, London, UK. Laura Marchbank, Senior Information Analyst, Information Services Division (ISD). NHS National Services Scotland, for SMR01 data. Chris Dew, Senior Information Analyst, Health and Social Care Information Centre, Leeds, for HES data interpretation. We also thank the Scottish Ophthalmological Club and the whole Scottish. Ophthalmic community for their support, contribution, and enthusiasm especially: A Agrawal, D Assheton, HR Atta, A Azura-Blanco, PS Baines, CW Barras, G Bedford, H Bennett, N Boyle, P Cauchi, C Cobb, G Cormack, A Cox, HC Devlin, J Ellis, L Esakowitz, A Ferguson, AI Fern, B Fleck, A Gaskell, ND George, J Gillen, D Grierson, M Gupta, H Hammer, IT Hanna, S Hewick, W Ho, F Imrie, P Kearns, J Kerr, L Kuffova, T Leslie, N Lois, CJ MacEwen, JA MacRae, S Madill, D Mansfield, DM Montgomery, J Murdoch, H Murgatroyd, RI Murray, SB Murray, A Pyott, A Reddy, C Scott, A Singh, JA Scott, J Singh, C Styles, S Sutherland, K Thompson, RP Savides, MG Stoddart, DRA Wardrop, C Weir, J Welch, K Wong, WW Wykes, D Yorston, and YY Zhang. WH Ross Foundation (Scotland).
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Some of the material reported here has been presented at the Symposium on Ocular Trauma at the Oxford Ophthalmological Congress, in July 2013.
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Desai, P., Morris, D., Minassian, D. et al. Trends in serious ocular trauma in Scotland. Eye 29, 611–618 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/eye.2015.7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/eye.2015.7
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