title: Foreign body traumas of the eye managed in an emergency department of a single-institution.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Superficial corneal foreign bodies (SCFB) are common injuries seen in the ED. The aim of this study was to describe the eye injuries caused by FBs and to determine clinical strategies for the prevention and management of ocular trauma.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective chart review of the previous two years. Demographic data, timing of the injury, injury type (open- or closed-globe injuries), source of the FB, hospital admission and ophthalmology consultation, treatments, and the long-term complications were recorded for each patient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 476 patients, and 83% were male, with an average age of 34.16±14.02 years. 9.7% of the eyes had an open-globe injury, while the rest were closed-globe injuries with or without SCFB. The most common FBs were metal fragments (37.6%) and dust (31.1%). The majority of the patients (72.1%) sustained work-related injuries. 42.4% of the patients were consulted to ophthalmology, and the remaining were treated by the emergency physicians. Only 10% of the patients required hospitalization, and complications were seen in 2.3% of the patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ocular FB involved mainly young healthy males who had sustained work-related injuries.  In view of the large number of eye injuries seen in Eds, ED colleagues should train themselves in order to appropriately recognize, treat and refer the SCFB injuries seen in the ED.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey. ozlemyigit@akdeniz.edu.tr
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yiğit
authors.forename: Aslıhan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yürüktümen
authors.forename: Savaş
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arslan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D004638:Emergency Treatment; D005129:Eye Foreign Bodies / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060051:Occupational Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology