Abstract
Purpose :
The effect of COVID-19 stay-at-home protocols on the etiologies of pediatric orbital and ocular trauma is still unclear as group activities that are known to cause trauma more frequently were suspended. Given the risk of permanent vision loss and damage to the globe, it is imperative that etiologies of orbital and ocular trauma are understood to reduce the potential risk of injury. We performed a retrospective chart review that evaluated all ocular and orbital trauma cases that presented to a children’s hospital’s emergency department between March 11th, 2019 and March 10th, 2021 to evaluate the etiologies before and after the onset of COVID-19 lockdowns.
Methods :
Data from the children’s hospital’s electronic medical record was used to identify all cases of orbital and ocular trauma between March 11th, 2019 and March 10th, 2021. 711 patients were seen by the emergency department within this timespan for orbital or ocular trauma with 395 patients seen in the year before COVID-19 lockdowns and 316 patients seen in the year after. All patients included in this study were 18 years old or younger and patients older than 18 years old were excluded. Chart reviews were completed for each case regarding type of trauma, associated factors, treatment plan, and outcome. Data were analyzed respective to date of presentation relative to COVID-19 lockdowns.
Results :
250 males (62.7%) and 149 females (37.3%) were seen before lockdowns and 189 males (60.2%) and 128 females (40.8%) were seen after lockdowns. Blunt injuries decreased from 56.5% pre-pandemic to 50.6% after lockdowns and sharp injuries increased from 27.6% to 31.3%. Injuries caused by animals increased from 9.6% to 13.6%. The most common diagnoses were eyelid and eyebrow lacerations followed by corneal abrasions.
Conclusions :
Although the overall number of childhood eye traumas reduced after the lockdown, pediatric ocular and orbital trauma remained prevalent. Ocular injuries associated with outside activities decreased and injuries associated with indoor activities or closer proximity to animals increased. Pediatric eye trauma remains an important preventable cause of ocular morbidity. This study demonstrates the impact of pandemic lockdowns on the incidence of pediatric ophthalmologic injuries.
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.