title: Clinical profile and visual outcome of ocular injuries in a rural area of western India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ocular trauma is a major cause of visual impairment and morbidity worldwide.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify the various type of ocular injury in a rural area, determine the presence of any associated visual damage and assess the final visual outcome after treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospital-based, prospective study conducted over a period of two years. A total of 60 patients of ocular trauma were included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ocular injuries were more commonly seen in adult (55 per cent) patients who were associated with agricultural work (43.33 per cent). They were more common in male patients (71.67 per cent). Closed globe injury (68.33 per cent) was more common than open globe injury (31.67 per cent). Both in open and closed globe injuries, the commonest object causing injury was a wooden stick. Just 26.7 per cent of the patients had a visual acuity better than 6/60 at presentation; while after completed treatment at two months follow-up, 68.3 per cent had best corrected visual acuity better than 6/60.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Agricultural trauma is an important cause of monocular blindness in rural India. The visual outcome depends upon the site and size of the injury and the extent of the ocular damage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences, Loni, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Somen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Misra
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences, Loni, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Rupali
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nandwani
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences, Loni, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Pratik
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gogri
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences, Loni, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Neeta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Misra
keywords: Closed globe injury; open globe injury; rural India; visual outcome