Demographic and clinical profile of ocular chemical injuries in the pediatric age group.
OBJECTIVE
To review the risk factors, management, and visual outcomes of pediatric chemical eye injuries in a tertiary care hospital in North India.


METHODS
Retrospective hospital-based study.


METHODS
Patients aged <16 years with ocular chemical burns.


METHODS
Case records of patients with ocular chemical injury who presented to the Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences were reviewed over a 5-year period.


METHODS
Demographic profile, nature of chemical injury, complications, and visual outcomes after chemical injury.


RESULTS
A total of 134 pediatric patients with a history of ocular chemical burns were seen between March 2006 and March 2011. The mean age of patients at the time of injury was 8.95±4.89 years (range, 1.2-15.5 years); 63.4% were male. Sixty-nine patients (51.4%) belonged to the preschool (0-5 years) age group. Bilateral chemical injuries were seen in 24 patients (17.9%). Lime ("chuna") was the most commonly involved chemical (88, 65.6%) followed by toilet cleaner (20, 14.9%). The mean time between injury and presentation was 68.3 days (range, 1-365 days). Severe (grade 3 and 4) ocular chemical injury was seen in 94 patients (70.1%). Surgical intervention was performed in 114 eyes (85%) in the form of amniotic membrane grafting (n = 78), symblepharon release (n = 56), limbal stem cell transplantation (n = 26), and lamellar keratoplasty (n = 14). The average number of surgeries conducted per patient was 2.3 (range, 1-4). Median visual acuity at final follow-up (mean, 537±354 days) was 3/60.


CONCLUSIONS
Chemical injuries in pediatric patients are more commonly encountered in the preschool age group and are associated with severe visual loss. Alkali injury from bursting of chuna packets was the most common mode of injury in pediatric patients in our study.
Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. Electronic address: rasikv@unimelb.edu.au.
Rasik B
RB
Vajpayee
Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Himanshu
H
Shekhar
Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Namrata
N
Sharma
Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR.
Vishal
V
Jhanji
D000143:Acids; D000293:Adolescent; D000468:Alkalies; D002057:Burns, Chemical / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005126:Eye Burns / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006795:Household Products; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014792:Visual Acuity
D000143:Acids; D000468:Alkalies