title: Profile of pediatric ocular trauma in mid western hilly region of Nepal.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Majority of blinding ocular injuries can be prevented.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the epidemiology of ocular trauma in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of medical records of the patients aged below 16 years who attended the Himalaya Eye Hospital, Pokhara with history of ocular injury.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 6,829 pediatric patients, 554 (8.1 %) had ocular trauma. The ocular trauma was more prevalent (38.1 %) in the age group of 5 - 10 years followed by 10-15 years (16.6 %). The boys (62 % vs 38 %) were more prone to ocular trauma than girls (RR = 1.7 and 95 % CI = 1.41 - 2.02). Of 554 ocular injuries, 32 (5.8 %) were open globe injuries. Sub-conjunctival hemorrhage was the commonest presenting finding in 96 (17.3 %) subjects. Forty-seven (8.5 %) of them attended the hospital after 15 days of injury. Home was the most common place for trauma (n =204, 36.8%), followed by playground (n = 140, 25.3 %).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children between the ages of 5-10 years are most vulnerable to ocular trauma.Home is the commonest place for ocular injury followed by playground. By adopting some common safety factors or by reducing the ocular injury risks factor, ocular trauma can be greatly reduced.
authors.affiliation: Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh Central Office, Kathmandu, Nepal. sunudulal@yahoo.com
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dulal
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Ale
authors.forename: Y D
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Sapkota
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009390:Nepal / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013997:Time Factors