title: The spectrum of eye injuries in Sagamu, Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Eye injuries are major causes of visual morbidity and monocular blindness worldwide. The common causes of eye injuries needs to be well defined in each community so as to plan for prevention of high morbidity and blindness as part of blindness prevention programme.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  It is necessary to compare the trend in causes of ocular injuries in Ogun State after a similar study over 15 years before. The part played by road traffic accidents [RTA] compared to other causes is also to be analysed.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective study was carried out between July 2004 and June 2005. All cases presenting to the Accident and Emergency Unit and Eye Clinic of Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, and the 2 private eye clinics in Sagamu town, presenting with any form of eye injuries during the study period were included. The biodata, cause and type of eye injury, time of injury, time of presentation and treatment offered were obtained using a questionnaire. The results were analysed with Epi-Info 2002.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and twelve patients were studied. Eighty-one [72.3%] of the victims were males; most of them, 36[33.0%] were students and 32 [29.4%] artisans. The common causes of eye injuries were RTA 35[31.3%], assault 22[19.6%], vegetative agents 18 [16.1%] and machine tools 11[9.8%]. Most patients presented either within 24 hours, 56[50.0%] or within a week, 34[30.4%] of injury, and mostly during the day 86[97.6%]. Most injuries were found in the anterior segment 95[84.8%] and most commonly, victims 65[58%] required only medications as treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Majority of eye injuries found in Sagamu are treatable and can be handled by an experienced non-ophthalmologist successfully and most are now accounted for by RTAs and assault which indicate some changes in common causes compared to previous studies in Nigeria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Obafemi Awolowo College of Health Sciences, PMB 2022, Sagamu.
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Ajibode
authors.forename: L O
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Thanni
authors.forename: O O
authors.initials: OO
authors.lastname: Onabolu
authors.forename: O T
authors.initials: OT
authors.lastname: Bodunde
authors.forename: T O
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Otulana
mesh_terms: D000059:Accidents; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult