Abstract
Purpose:
To better define the characteristics of (hospitalized eye injuries, HEIs) which comprise a minority of the estimated 2.4 million eye injuries occurring per year in the United States (US) but are significant due to their severe morbidity and economic burden.
Methods:
This study received an exemption from the Rhode Island Hospital (Provide
Results:
From 2001 to 2008, there were an estimated 6,172,217 total ED visits from eye injuries in the US, of which 0.78% (32,069) resulted in hospitalization. The majority of HEI patients were males (72.7%; 22,874) and between 18-64 years of age (51.2%; 18,232). However, the highest rate of hospitalization was among patients aged 65 or older (0.14 per 1,000). The most common cause of injury and known diagnosis was being “struck by/against” and “contusions/abrasions” respectively.
Conclusions:
Hospitalized eye injuries disproportionately impact the elderly with the most common cause being blunt trauma and the most common diagnosis being ocular contusions/abrasions. It is unclear whether the underlying cause is co-morbid medical conditions or occurrence of more serious eye injuries. Targeted educational interventions of eye protection strategies may not only prevent accidental eye injuries but also may reduce the sequelae of common causes of injury such as being struck by or against something.