title: A retrospective study of the incidence and prevalence of thermal corneal injury in patients with burns.
abstract: The clinical course of thermal corneal injuries is not well described. A review of 1750 burn admissions to a regional burn center between 1979 through 1993 was done to determine the clinical course of thermal corneal injuries. Twenty-five out of 1750 burn admissions (1%) presented with a thermal corneal injury. Corneal injuries were identified with use of a fluorescein dye and a Wood's lamp. Ophthalmologic consultation was obtained for those identified. Data were analyzed with the Fisher's exact test and the unpaired two-tailed Student's t test. Patients with thermal corneal injury did not differ demographically from other patients with burn injury. Open-flame burns were the most common cause of injury. Improvement of corneal injury occurred in all survivors who had an intact globe on initial examination. Initial visual acuity was not a good predictor of outcome, and long-term complications were uncommon.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, the University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City 52242-1086, USA.
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Boone
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Boone
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Kealey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology; D065306:Corneal Injuries; D005126:Eye Burns / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007484:Iowa / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity