Profile of ocular trauma in the Solomon Islands. (19th December 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Baker, Michelle L; Painter, Geoffrey; Hewitt, Alex W; Amirul Islam, F M; Szetu, John; Qalo, Mundi; Keeffe, Jill
• Is Part Of: Clinical & experimental ophthalmology. Volume 42:Number 5(2014)
• Page Start: 440
• Page End: 446
• Publication Date: 2013-12-19
• Subjects: Ophthalmology -- Periodicals; 617.7
• DOI: 10.1111/ceo.12256
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1442-6404

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="ceo12256-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Background</title> <p>The objective of this study was to characterize the causes of ocular trauma and determine the risk factors for infection and vision loss following ocular trauma in the Solomon Islands.</p> </sec> <sec id="ceo12256-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Design</title> <p>A prospective clinic‐based study.</p> </sec> <sec id="ceo12256-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Participants</title> <p>A total of 507 patients with ocular trauma who were reviewed at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara or one of five provincial eye clinics were included.</p> </sec> <sec id="ceo12256-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>An interview‐based questionnaire to determine the circumstances of ocular trauma, and an ocular examination to elicit the trauma sustained, infectious sequelae and the visual outcome.</p> </sec> <sec id="ceo12256-sec-0005" sec-type="section"> <title>Main Outcome Measure</title> <p>Visual acuity.</p> </sec> <sec id="ceo12256-sec-0006" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Males were significantly more likely to have ocular trauma than females (<italic>P</italic> = 0.01). The major cause of ocular trauma in young boys and girls was being poked by a stick, followed by lime burns in young boys. For both genders, physical violence resulted in most injuries across all adult age groups. Microbial keratitis complicated 4.4% of ocular trauma. Monocular vision impairment (<6/18) occurred in 5.5% of participants and was more likely to occur if female (<italic>P</italic> = 0.02).</p> </sec> <sec id="ceo12256-sec-0007" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>Ocular trauma is a significant cause of visual morbidity in the Solomon Islands. The results from this prospective study provide a basis for planning blindness prevention programmes in the Western Pacific.</p> </sec> </abstract>