title: Incidence and causative agents of chemical eye injuries in Switzerland.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chemical eye injuries are ophthalmological emergencies with a high risk of secondary complications and severe visual loss. Only limited epidemiological data for such injuries are available for many countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed two independent studies. The cause of chemical eye injuries was assessed with a prospective questionnaire study. Questionnaires were sent to all ophthalmologists in Switzerland. A total of 163 patients (205 eyes) were included, between December 2012 and October 2014. Independent of the questionnaire study, the incidence of chemical eye injuries was assessed with a retrospective cohort study design using the database of the mandatory accident insurance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ophthalmological questionnaires revealed that plaster/cement (20.5%), alkaline (12.2%) and acid (10.2%) solutions caused the highest number of chemical injuries. Only 2% of all injuries were classified as grade III and none as grade IV (Roper-Hall classification). The official toxicological information phone-hotline was contacted in 4.3% of cases. Using data from the accident insurance, an incidence of chemical eye injuries of about 50/100 000/year was found in the working population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Here, we present data on the involved agents of chemical eye injuries in Switzerland, and also the incidence of such injuries in the working population. This may also help to assess the need for further education programs and to improve and direct preventive measures.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Inselspital, University of Bern , Bern , Switzerland.|b Department of Ophthalmology , University Hospital Basel, University of Basel , Basel , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tschopp
authors.affiliation: c Federal Office of Public Health , Bern , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Krähenbühl
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Inselspital, University of Bern , Bern , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tappeiner
authors.affiliation: d Tox Info Suisse, National Poison Centre, Associated Institute of the University of Zurich , Zurich , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kupferschmidt
authors.affiliation: e Central Office for Statistics under the Federal Law for Accident Insurance (SSUV) , Lucerne , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Quarroz
authors.affiliation: b Department of Ophthalmology , University Hospital Basel, University of Basel , Basel , Switzerland.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goldblum
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Inselspital, University of Bern , Bern , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Beatrice E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Frueh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Chemical eye injuries; Epidemiology; Incidence