Ocular Trauma characterization in a reference emergency eye center in Colombia, FOSCAL

Background Ocular trauma is one of the most important causes of ocular morbidity and inadequate visual acuity in developed and developing countries. In some countries, eye trauma represents the leading cause of monocular blindness. Studies conducted in developing countries like Colombia, a lack of awareness of preventive measures has been questioned. In Colombia there is no countrywide ocular trauma registry. The purpose of the present study is to describe and analyze characteristics of ocular trauma at a tertiary ophthalmology emergency department in Colombia. Patients/methods and material Patients who consulted or were referred to the ophthalmologic emergency department of FOSCAL due to eye injuries between March 1st, 2022, and January 10th, 2023, were included in this cross-sectional study. Results 2,088 eyes of 1,957 patients were included. 78.5% were men, median age was 36 years, and 75.0% lived in urban areas. The median latency between trauma and ophthalmology consultation was 21.8 hours. 1,805 eyes (88.4%) were mechanical or mixed (mechanical plus burn) trauma. 87.5% were unilateral. In terms of the circumstances, 45.9% of injuries occurred during working or educational activities (in 85.6% of these cases, without eye protection), 28.2% in home accidents, and 14.0% in transportation situations. According to BETT, 1,735 eyes (91.1%) were closed globe injuries, and 49 eyes (2.7%) were open globe injuries. Noteworthy, 50 eyes (2.8%) could not be categorized according to BETT at the initial consultation and were classified as still to be determined. In OTS, 85.8% were category 5. 93.0% of ocular burn cases were categorized as grade I according to the Roper Hall classification. Conclusions In line with global literature, a much higher proportion of men than women, sought consultation for ocular trauma. The findings suggest a need for improvement in the referral processes from the institutions with the lowest level of care. Lack of awareness about eye protection is an issue. Surgical exploration or additional tests may be necessary for precise injury classification; therefore, we propose adding a "still to be determined"category to the BETT initial classification. These cases may be reclassified later, thus improving the accuracy of OTS calculation.