Ocular trauma among patients attending a tertiary teaching hospital in Zimbabwe

Kyei, Samuel; Kwarteng, Michael Agyemang; Asare, Frederick Afum; Jemitara, Moses; Mtuwa, Claudio Ngoni

Abstract

Purpose
To investigate the trends, prevalence and distribution of ocular trauma in a Zimbabwean Tertiary Teaching Hospital (Parirenyatwa).

Method
A hospital-based retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, Sekuru Kaguvi Eye Department in Harare, Zimbabwe, to review medical records of patients with ocular trauma visiting for treatment at the outpatient department between January 2017 and December 2021. Information on patients’ demographics, presenting visual acuity, type of ocular trauma, and the number of eyes affected were collected and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results
A total of 863 patients (1007 eyes) were identified to have experienced ocular trauma of one kind or another, with the youth (18–35 years) reporting with most cases (331, 38.4%). About 71.2% of patients were classified as having open-globe injuries and of that number, 90% were caused by blunt trauma, while the rest were caused by penetrating, intraocular, and perforating injuries. Patients with open-globe injuries were about 10 times more likely to develop blindness than those with closed-globe injuries after adjusting for age and gender, and this was statistically significant (ARR = 9.65, 95% CI: 5.53–16.84, p < 0.001). The prevalence of distance vision impairment due to ocular trauma was 60.1% (95% CI: 56.8%-63.4%), with majority resulting in blindness (22.0%, 95% CI: 19.4%-24.9%).

Conclusion
There is a high prevalence of open-globe injuries in Zimbabwe with blunt trauma being the most significant cause. This suggests the need to promote and intensify public eye health awareness and sensitisation on safety strategies for the prevention of ocular trauma throughout the country.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 19, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Oct 4, 2023
• Publication Date: Oct 4, 2023
• Deposit Date: Sep 27, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 30, 2024
• Journal: PLOS ONE
• Electronic ISSN: 1932-6203
• Publisher: Public Library of Science
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 18
• Issue: 10
• Article Number: e0292392
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292392
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/13154038