title: Clinical and epidemiologic characteristics of severe childhood ocular injuries in southern iran.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of children with ocular trauma.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 278 children (aged 15 years or less) hospitalized with ocular injuries and treated as inpatients at a tertiary referral center in Shiraz, Iran, from 2005 to 2008. Nominal variables were evaluated with a Chi-square test. A P-value less than 0.05 indicated statistical significance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cohort was comprised of 205 (74%) males, outnumbering females by a ratio of 2.81/1. The mean age was 7.6 ± 3.96 years. Rural residents comprised 125 (45%) of the cohort. Sharp objects caused ocular injury in 211 (76%) cases, and 207 (74%) cases had open-globe injuries. The lens was injured in 62 (30%) cases at initial examination and 89 (43%) patients according to ultrasound examination (P = 0.006). Twenty-eight cases (10%) developed post-traumatic endophthalmitis. Endophthalmitis was associated with needle injury [odd ratio (OR) = 19.25] and presence of intraocular foreign body (OR = 3.48). Visual acuity of patients with closed-globe injuries was 20/200 or better on both initial and final examinations. Visual acuity of patients with open-globe injuries were in the range of light perception to 20/200.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Trauma is an important cause of childhood ocular morbidity in southern Iran. Playing with sharp objects is an important cause of ocular trauma in children, and most injuries can be prevented by careful supervision.
authors: Poostchi Ophthalmology Research Center, Shiraz School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors: Hamid
authors: H
authors: Hosseini
authors: Masoumeh
authors: M
authors: Masoumpour
authors: Fatemeh
authors: F
authors: Keshavarz-Fazl
authors: M Reza
authors: MR
authors: Razeghinejad
authors: Ramin
authors: R
authors: Salouti
authors: Mohammad Hosein
authors: MH
authors: Nowroozzadeh