A Clinical Study of Pediatric Ocular Injuries through Emergency Room

Choi, Jae Sun; Kim, Suck Son; Yi, Kun Pok

Abstract

The characteristics of ocular injury is that the extent of visual disturbance is variable and serious in spite of inconsiderable trauma. Moreover, the prognosis of ocular injury in infancy and childhood is poorer than that in adulthood because the visual funjction of infants and children has not completely matured yet. And the visual disturbance will influence unfavorably upon the selection of occupation in future. Therefore, further investigation of pediatric ocular injuries is thought to be necessary for the establishment of measures of treatment and prevention. The authors clinically analysed 161 eyes of 152 pediatric ocular injurise under the age of 15 year-old who visited emergency room of Masan Koryo General Hospital during the 3 years from January 1, 1986 to December 31, 1988. The ambulation rate of pediatric ocular injuries was 7.5% of total eye patients through emergency room and the incidence was higher in male. The most common disease of all pediatric ocular injuries was lid laceration, followed by subconjunctival hemorrhage and traumatic hyphema. It was revealed that the age group from 4 to 6 was the most hazardous stage for pediatric ocular injuries and a pierced wound by sharp pointed materials was the most harmful and the most dangerous mode of injury.