Clinical Ophthalmology (Sep 2022)
Global Current Practice Patterns for the Management of Hyphema
Abstract
Sarah C Miller,1 Prajna Meeralakshmi,2 Michael J Fliotsos,3 Grant A Justin,4 Yoshihiro Yonekawa,5 Ariel Chen,1 Annette K Hoskin,6,7 Richard J Blanch,8– 10 Kara M Cavuoto,11 Rebecca Low,12 Ximin Li,1,13 Matthew Gardiner,14 TY Alvin Liu,1 Ankoor S Shah,14 James D Auran,15 Rupesh Agrawal,12,16– 18 Fasika A Woreta1 On behalf of The International Globe and Adnexal Trauma Epidemiology Study (IGATES)1Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; 2Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai, India; 3Department of Ophthalmology, Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA; 4Vitreoretinal Surgery Service, Duke Eye Center, Durham, NC, USA; 5Wills Eye Hospital, Mid Atlantic Retina, Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA; 6Save Sight Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; 7Lions Eye Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia; 8Academic Department of Military Surgery and Trauma, Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Birmingham, England; 9University Hospitals Birmingham, NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, England; 10Neuroscience and Ophthalmology, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England; 11Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA; 12Department of Ophthalmology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore; 13Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; 14Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA; 15Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York City, NY, USA; 16Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore; 17Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; 18Duke NUS Medical School, SingaporeCorrespondence: Fasika A Woreta, The Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA, Tel +410-961-2868, Fax +410-614-9632, Email [email protected] Rupesh Agrawal, Department of Ophthalmology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Duke NUS Medical School, 11 Jalan Tan Tock Seng, Singapore, 308433, Singapore, Tel +6563571000, Email [email protected]: Hyphema is a sequela of ocular trauma and can be associated with significant morbidity. Management of this condition is variable and can depend on individual institutional guidelines. We aimed to summarize current practices in hyphema management across ophthalmological institutions worldwide.Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted across North America, Asia, South America, Africa, Europe, and Australia from August 2020 to January 2021. The survey assessed the existing practices in the management of hyphema at each institution.Results: For layered hyphema, topical steroids were routinely administered by 34 (of 36 respondents, 94.4%) institutions, of which prednisolone was the preferred choice (n = 32, 88.9%). Topical cycloplegics were used at 34 (94.4%) institutions. No institution reported routine use of antifibrinolytics. Head elevation was the most deployed procedure to promote hyphema reabsorption (n = 31, 86.3%), followed by partial bed rest (n = 21, 58.3%). The majority of institutions (n = 25, 69.4%) did not routinely pursue admission for hyphema patients, although 75.0% of institutions (n = 27) scheduled follow-up visits within 48 hours of presentation. Additionally, few institutions performed routine sickle cell trait testing for patients presenting with hyphema (n = 6, 16.7%). The decision to perform anterior chamber washout varied and was often based on intraocular pressure and the speed of hyphema resolution.Conclusion: Unanimity of international institutions on hyphema management is lacking. As it stands, many current interventions have unconvincing evidence supporting their use. Evidence-based guidelines would be beneficial in guiding decision-making on hyphema management. Additionally, areas of consensus can be used as foundations for future standard of care investigations.Keywords: current practices, hyphema, trauma, sickle cell, anterior segment