Epidemiology of Ocular Trauma in Patients Referred to a Tertiary Center in Northern Iran

Background: Ocular trauma is a debilitating condition and one of the most important and leading causes of visual impairments that have high socioeconomic consequences. Objectives: This study aims to investigate the epidemiology of ocular trauma in patients referred to a tertiary center in northern Iran. Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 476 patients with ocular trauma referred to the eye emergency department of a teaching hospital in Guilan Province, north of Iran, in 2020-21. Personal and trauma-related information was extracted from the patient’s medical records using a checklist.  Results: Most patients were in the 31-40 age group (28.8%), with a mean age of 41.5±17.4 years. Most of the injuries occurred at home (57.1%). Few of the patients had used eye safety glasses (5.3%). Most of the patients were living in the city. Closed globe injuries were the common types of traumas (96%), and the prevalence of open globe injuries was at a very low level (4%). Conclusion: Closed globe injuries are the most common types of ocular traumas in northern Iran. Most of the ocular traumas are preventable using eye protection equipment.

Epidemiology of Ocular Trauma in Patients Referred to a Tertiary Center in Northern Iran Keywords:

Ocular trauma , Eye injuries , Emergency , Epidemiology , Northern Iran