[Analysis on characteristics of ocular trauma caused by military affairs in soldiers].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate and analyze the epidemiological, clinical and prognostic characteristics of ocular trauma in soldiers caused by military affairs and compared with those in trauma caused by non-military causes.


METHODS
A retrospective study on eye injury cases of military inpatients in 15 military general hospitals from 2001 to 2005 was performed and the data of 716 cases (772 eyes) were statistically analyzed.


RESULTS
Three hundred and sixty inpatients (398 eyes) caused by military affairs accounted for 50.28% (360/716) of all military inpatients with eye injuries. The difference between trauma cases caused by military affairs and non-military affairs included: higher male/female ratio, 99.45% (358/360), 96.38% (343/356) (χ(2) = 6.92, P = 0.009) and younger age, averaged (23.14 ± 5.23) yrs vs. (26.94 ± 10.45) yrs (t = -6.163, P < 0.001). The most frequent causes in trauma caused by military affairs were explosion (12.78%, 46/360) and construction of national defense (12.78%, 46/360); whereas sports in leisure accounted for 35.96% cases in trauma caused by non-military affairs. The other characters of trauma caused by military affairs included: more non-mechanical globe injuries, 12.06% (48/398), 2.67% (10/374) (χ(2) = 23.12, P < 0.001), less mechanical injuries, 81.91% (326/398), 90.64% (339/374) (χ(2) = 11.59, P = 0.001); a higher proportion of open globe injuries (especially intraocular foreign body); more full-thickness laceration of globe wall needed primary repair, 57.26% (71/124), 84.78% (39/46) (χ(2) = 11.13, P = 0.001); higher rates of enucleation/evisceration, 4.52% (18/398), 1.07% (4/374), (χ(2) = 7.10, P = 0.008), lower vision, 15.33% (61/398), 4.81% (18/374) (χ(2) = 22.07, P < 0.001) and more blindness, 25.38% (101/398), 10.42% (39/374) (χ(2) = 28.03, P < 0.001); less eyes with final vision ≥ 0.5, 28.02% (111/396), 35.66% (133/373) (χ(2) = 4.81, P = 0.028) and less eyes with increasing vision, 68.68% (272/398), 76.41% (285/374) (χ(2) = 5.35, P = 0.021).


CONCLUSIONS
Eye injury caused by military affairs is more severe and poorer in prognosis and is the direct factor that causing the decrease of military power. Emphasis should be placed on the prevention and treatment of eye injuries caused by military affairs.
Department of Ophthalmology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
Ying
Y
Zhang
Mao-nian
MN
Zhang
Cai-hui
CH
Jiang
Huai-yu
HY
Qiu
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult