title: Epidemiological findings of ocular trauma in childhood.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe epidemiological findings of ocular trauma in childhood in an emergency unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was carried out including patients under 16 years old who were treated for ocular trauma at the emergency unit of the Federal University of São Paulo from September 2001 to September 2004. Age, sex, involved eye, place, circumstance and mechanism of injury, initial visual acuity and immediate management were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 273 patients were included in the study. The age group comprising most cases was 7 to 10 years (39.9%). The most frequent cause of ocular injury was traumatism by external agents like stone, iron and wood objects (27.9%). The commonest place was the home (53.1%). Initial visual acuity was over 20/40 in 63.4% of cases. Closed globe injury occurred in 201 (73.6%) accidents. Seventy-six children (27. 8%) were treated with medicines and in forty-eight (17.6%) cases surgery was necessary.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ocular trauma in childhood was more frequent in the male schoolchild and was due mostly to traumatism with agents like stone, wood and iron pieces, domestic utensils and leisure objects. The injuries occurred most frequently at home. Closed globe injuries predominated. Programs of education and prevention for ocular trauma in childhood are necessary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. angelino65@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Angelino Julio
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Cariello
authors.forename: Nilva Simerem Bueno
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Moraes
authors.forename: Somaia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mitne
authors.forename: Celina Shizuka
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Oita
authors.forename: Bruno Machado
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Fontes
authors.forename: Luiz Alberto Soares
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Melo
mesh_terms: D000061:Accidents, Home / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D004638:Emergency Treatment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D015807:Eye Injuries, Penetrating / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014792:Visual Acuity