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. 2017 Jan;47(1):18-23.
doi: 10.4274/tjo.81598. Epub 2017 Jan 17.

Demographic Characteristics and Clinical Outcome of Work-related Open Globe Injuries in the Most Industrialised Region of Turkey

Sertaç Argun Kıvanç  1 , Berna Akova Budak  1 , Emina Skrijelj  1 , Mediha Tok Çevik  2
Affiliations

Demographic Characteristics and Clinical Outcome of Work-related Open Globe Injuries in the Most Industrialised Region of Turkey

Sertaç Argun Kıvanç et al. Turk J Ophthalmol. 2017 Jan.

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate demographic characteristics and clinical outcomes of work-related open globe injuries in the most industrialized region of Turkey.

Materials and methods: The demographic and medical records of patients with work-related open globe injuries who presented to the ophthalmology or emergency departments with an official occupational accident report were retrospectively reviewed. Visual acuity categories were defined according to the World Health Organization. The injury types and zones of the open globes were classified according to Birmingham Eye Trauma Terminology System.

Results: Among 479 patients with work-related eye injuries in 5 years, there were 102 eyes of 101 patients with open globe injuries (21%). The mean age of the patients was 34.5±8.9 years with a mean follow-up of 12.5±12.6 months. The injuries peaked in June in the hour between 12:00 and 13:00. Eighty-six percent presented to emergency services within 12 hours after the injury. Twenty-two percent of the patients had been wearing protective eyewear at the time of injury. The open globe injuries were penetrating in 51%, intraocular foreign body in 40%, rupture in 7% and perforation in 2% of the eyes. The most frequent finding was traumatic cataract. Final visual acuity of 33.3% of patients was below 3/60. Seventy-eight percent of patients that had visual acuity worse than 6/18 at presentation had visual acuity of 6/18 or better at final visit. Sixty-three percent of eyes which had injuries involving all 3 zones resulted in phthisis bulbi, enucleation or evisceration.

Conclusion: Work-related open globe injuries may have severe consequences such as visual impairment and blindness among the young male working population in industrialized areas. Nearly half of the occupational open globe injuries resulted in visual impairment and blindness.

Keywords: Blindness; open globe injury; visual impairment; work accident; work-related eye injury.

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Conflict of interest statement

No conflict of interest was declared by the authors. Financial Disclosure: The authors declared that this study received no financial support.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Distribution of work-related open globe injuries by month of occurrence
Figure 2
Figure 2. Distribution of work-related open globe injuries by time of occurrence
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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