Profile of Ocular Trauma in a Tertiary Centre in Western Nepal

Abstract

Introduction: Ocular trauma is an important cause of blindness and ocular morbidity throughout the world. The present study was done to establish the common causes of ocular trauma in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Western Nepal. Methods: In this prospective study, all the patients with ocular trauma visiting eye Out Patient Department (OPD) and Emergency Department of Gandaki Medical College Teaching Hospital (GMCTH) from June 2015 to June 2016 were included. A complete history and detailed ophthalmological evaluation was done. Results: Over a period of one year, 226 patients attended to the OPD and Emergency Department of GMCTH. Mean age of patients was 30.41 ±15.7 years. Males were 70.8% and females 29.2%. About 82.5% patients had visual acuity better than 6/18 while 17.7% had visual acuity <3/60. Road traffic accident (RTA) was the most common cause followed by foreign bodies. Conclusions: Males are more prone to ocular trauma than females and majority of ocular trauma occurred at workplace. RTA is the commonest cause of ocular trauma. Very few patients used protective device. Public awareness and strict legislation for the use of personal protective devices can also help reduce the occurrence of ocular injury. J-GMC-N | Volume 11 | Issue 01 | January-June 2018, Page: 6-10

Keywords

• blindness
• ocular trauma
• tertiary centre