Abstract
Purpose :
Chemical-related eye injuries in children represent a medical emergency because they result in serious ocular damage. To identify the clinical features and etiological variables of chemical eye burns in Saudi children. The research was conducted at a tertiary eye care facility in central Saudi Arabia.
Methods :
Children younger than 16 years old who sustained ocular chemical burns between 2009 and 2021 were enrolled in a cohort study with a single arm. Clinical characteristics, causes, and injury types were gathered. The ocular injuries were categorized using a modified Roper-Hall scale.
Results :
147 children with chemical burns contributed 185 eyes for this investigation. This study's primary demographics were as follows: male (72.1%), grade 4 injury (27.6%), acid injury (57.1%), home burns (66%), and first aid administered to (35.5%). One year following treatment, 31.4% of the eyes had BCVA between 20/20 and 20/60, 16.8% had BCVA between 20/60 and 20/200, and 46.5% had significant visual impairment (SVI). Poor visual outcomes were associated with the degree of chemical burns. (RR = 1.45, P=0.04). At the one-year follow-up, administration of first aid (P=0.86) and chemical type (acid vs. non-acid) was not significantly associated with SVI.
Conclusions :
Chemical burns on the ocular surface of children have long-term effects. Despite conventional care, the short-term visual results are not favorable. Our study showed that eyes with severe and moderate chemical ocular burns had a considerably greater incidence of (SVI).
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.