Epidemiology of Sports-Related Eye Injuries in the United States.
OBJECTIVE
Ocular trauma can lead to lifelong sequelae, and sports-related ocular injuries have been shown to disproportionately affect the young. Studies quantifying and characterizing the incidence and type of injuries seen with sports-related ocular trauma may be useful for resource utilization, training, and prevention efforts.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the emergency department (ED) burden of sports-related ocular trauma in the United States.


METHODS
This retrospective, cross-sectional study examined the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, containing data from approximately 30 million ED visits annually at more than 900 hospitals nationwide, from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2013, to determine factors associated with sports-related ocular trauma.


METHODS
Annual incidence of sports-related ocular trauma, broken down by age, sex, mechanism of injury, and related activity, as well as factors associated with short-term impaired vision.


RESULTS
During the study period, 120 847 individuals (mean age, 22.3 years [95% CI, 21.9-22.7]; 96 872 males, 23 963 females, and 12 with missing data) presented with sports-related ocular trauma, which was the primary diagnosis in 85 961 patients. Injuries occurred most commonly among males (69 849 [81.3%]; 95% CI, 80.6%-81.9%) and occurred most frequently as a result of playing basketball (22.6%; 95% CI, 21.7%-23.6%), playing baseball or softball (14.3%; 95% CI, 13.7%-14.9%), and shooting an air gun (11.8%; 95% CI, 10.8%-12.8%). Odds of presentation to the ED with impaired vision were greatest for paintball and air gun injuries relative to football-related injuries (odds ratio, 4.75; 95% CI, 2.21-10.19 and 3.71; 95% CI, 2.34-5.88, respectively; P < .001).


CONCLUSIONS
In our study, approximately 30 000 individuals presented annually to EDs in the United States with sports-related eye injuries; in more than 70% of these cases, eye injuries were the primary diagnosis. Activities involving projectiles pose the greatest risk for visual impairment in the short term, although long-term outcomes were unavailable.
Center for Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety, University of Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland2Center for Surgery and Public Health, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts3Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland4Johns Hopkins Surgery Center for Outcomes Research, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
R Sterling
RS
Haring
Center for Surgery and Public Health, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts5Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City.
Isaac D
ID
Sheffield
Johns Hopkins Surgery Center for Outcomes Research, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
Joseph K
JK
Canner
Center for Surgery and Public Health, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts3Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland4Johns Hopkins Surgery Center for Outcomes Research, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
Eric B
EB
Schneider
D000293:Adolescent; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult