In this retrospective study, researchers characterized the pediatric acute ocular injuries reported to emergency departments in the United States.

Study design

Researchers used the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample to assess the demographics and clinical characteristics of 340,218 children aged 17 years or younger who had acute ocular injuries between 2006 and 2014.

Outcomes

During the study period, pediatric acute ocular injury-related visits to the emergency department declined by 26.1%. Common mechanisms of injury included strikes, sports, falls, and foreign bodies. Injuries frequently occurred in the adnexa (43.7%) or cornea (27.2%).

Only 1.3% of the events were high risk; most injuries were low (84.2%) or variable (14.5%) risk. Cases of high-risk injuries involving motor vehicle crashes and guns declined by 79.8% and 68.5%, respectively. However, there was an increase in injuries from household activities (20.7%) and sports (12.8%).

Limitations

Administrative data collection of ocular injuries may have varied during the study period, potentially skewing the results.

Clinical significance

More than 150,000 preventable pediatric eye injuries still occur every year. Further work is needed to establish preventive strategies.