Abstract
Purpose :
Open globe injury (OGI) is one of the leading causes of mono-ocular blindness in the world. The pregnant population is vulnerable to traumatic injuries especially to domestic violence and is far understudied in the literature in regard to the epidemiology of traumatic ocular injuries. In this study, we analyzed the differences in demographics and outcomes of OGIs in pregnant women and non-pregnant women.
Methods :
The National Inpatient Sample was queried for diagnoses of OGIs from the years 2002 to 2014. The age was restricted inclusively between 15 to 45 and for the female gender. The status of pregnancy was recorded using built-in variables and ICD-9 codes. Descriptive statistical analysis using SPSS 25 was conducted with weighted data by the status of pregnancy. Demographics and outcomes were analyzed for both pregnant and non-pregnant groups.
Results :
Pregnant women with OGI were younger in age compared to non-pregnant women (26.22 vs 29.93, p<0.001, Table 1), more likely to be Hispanic (29.0% vs 12.4%), more likely to be insured (87.4% vs 66.1%), and also more likely to use drugs (13.7% vs 6.3%, p<0.001). Pregnant women were less likely to have a “rupture” type of OGI (3.3% vs 14.6%, p<0.001, Table 2), but more likely to have a “penetrating without intraocular foreign body” type of OGI (78% vs 69.3%, p=0.024). Pregnant women were less likely to have a concurrent orbital floor fracture (0.0% vs 12.4%, p<0.001). Both groups underwent similar rates of surgical repair, but pregnant women were less likely to undergo an enucleation (0.0% vs 6.0%, p=0.002). Pregnant women had a higher mortality during the admission (3.3% vs 0.8%, p=0.001), but had shorter average duration of hospital stay (2.40 vs 4.31, p<0.001).
Conclusions :
Pregnant women with OGIs have significantly different demographics compared to non-pregnant women with OGIs; they are more likely to be younger, be of Hispanic ethnicity and have a history of drug use. They were less likely to have a concurrent orbital floor fracture or undergo enucleation which may either suggest less severe injury or modified surgical management criteria to avoid general anesthesia related complications to the fetus. Further studies are needed to evaluate the circumstances of OGIs in pregnant women.
This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.