title: Vision-related quality of life in patients with ocular chemical burns.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess vision-related quality of life in patients with ocular chemical burns by the application of the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25).
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-seven patients with ocular chemical burns were enrolled in the study from January 1 through May 31, 2010. Apart from the collection of sociodemographic and clinical data, NEI VFQ-25 with an additional appendix question, being translated to Chinese, was administered to all subjects. Main outcome measures were comparison of the NEI VFQ-25 subscale item scores among subgroups and multivariate analysis of the NEI VFQ-25 subscale scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-five subjects were bilaterally burned and the rest were unilaterally injured. The mean age of enrolled subjects was 39.4 ± 11.6 years, with the majority being male (98.9%) and worker (77.0%); the mean composite score of all subjects was 40.4 ± 23.8. The composite score and majority subscale scores of binocularly injured patients were significantly lower than those of monocularly injured patients. Further comparisons among groups divided by either clinical severity classification or best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) produced similar results. The BCVA of both the better-seeing eye and the worse-seeing eye strongly correlated with the NEI VFQ-25 composite score (ρ = 0.664 and 0.498, both P = 0.000). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that the VFQ-25 composite score correlated significantly with the following independent variables: BCVA of the better-seeing eye and the worse-seeing eye, the injury classification of the less severely injured eye, and correct and immediate irrigation after injury as well.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ocular chemical burns have a significant and extensive impact on patients' visual function outcomes and vision-related quality of life.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors: Qihua
authors: Q
authors: Le
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Chen
authors: Xin
authors: X
authors: Wang
authors: Yimin
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: Jiaxu
authors: J
authors: Hong
authors: Jianjiang
authors: J
authors: Xu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002057:Burns, Chemical / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D004651:Employment; D005126:Eye Burns / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult