Paediatric open globe injuries. Visual outcome and risk factors for endophthalmitis

Abstract

Purpose: To study the incidence of open globe injuries and the outcome in children, and to study the risk factors for post-traumatic endophthalmitis. Methods: Paediatric patient population. Retrospective analysis of 72 consecutive cases of open globe injury over 3 years (January 1998 to December 2000). Results: The cause of trauma was sports related (n = 18), home-made bow and arrow (n = 16), household kitchen injuries (n = 10), cracker injuries (n = 7) and other miscellaneous outdoor activities (n = 16). In 5 children the cause could not be ascertained. Visual acuity of > 3/60 in the injured eye at the last follow-up examination was recorded in 37 of 70 patients (52.86%) whose visual acuity could be tested. The final visual acuity was significantly poorer in eyes where primary repair was delayed beyond 24 hours of injury (P Conclusion: Delayed repair, bow and arrow injuries and household injuries were associated with significantly higher risk of endophthalmitis. The incidence of endophthalmitis can be reduced by early referral of trauma cases and parental supervision.

Keywords

• Endophthalmitis
• open globe injury
• paediatric ocular trauma
• secondary IOL