The frequency of chemical injuries of the eye in a tertiary referral centre

Abstract

Introduction. Chemical injuries can occur under various circumstances and may cause serious damage to the anterior segment of the eye. Objective. The aim of the study was to analyze the frequency of chemical injuries treated in a tertiary referral centre. Methods. The medical records of consecutive patients admitted for the chemical injury of the eye to the Clinic for Eye Diseases in Belgrade between January 1999 and December 2008 were retrospectively analyzed in order to obtain data about proportions of injuries, demographical characteristics of patients, circumstances under which injuries happened, the chemicals involved, the severity of injury according to the Roper-Hall classification and the length of hospitalization. Results. Out of a total of 60,868 hospitalized patients, 148 (2.43/1,000) were treated for chemical injury of the eye, with the highest incidence observed during summer months. Men were over five times more often affected (84.5%) and most of the injured individuals belonged to the working-age population (mean age 44.4±16.2 years). The most common causative agents were alkalis (73.0%), while acids (18.2%) and other substances (8.8%) were less common. None of 35.1% patients for whom data were obtained used any protection while handling the chemicals. The vast majority of injuries were graded as grade II (31.1%) and III (42.6%) and the most severe ones were caused by alkalis. An average length of hospitalization was 17.7±24.1 days and correlated with the severity of injury. Conclusion. Chemical injuries are relatively common problem in the Emergency Ophthalmology. Constant education and usage of adequate protective equipment should be advised in order to prevent serious complications.

Keywords

• chemical injury
• eye
• frequency
• epidemiology