Ocular injuries associated with the use of airguns.
Sixty patients with eye injuries resulting from the use of airguns were admitted to a large eye hospital over an 11-year period. The typical patient was a young male teenager; 70 per cent of patients were under the age of 17, the age at which it is legally permissible to own an air weapon. In 4 cases the missile lodged in the ocular adnexae, in 18 cases there was a penetrating eye injury and in 38 patients blunt nonpenetrating eye injury. The prognosis for visual recovery was poor especially following penetration of the globe; visual acuity was reduced to 6/60 or less in 40 per cent of all eyes and in 18 per cent the injured eye was excised.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005123:Eye / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications*