Ocular injuries in road traffic accidents: a study

INTRODUCTION: Road traffic accidents are common occurrence every day. With ever increasing new drivers and new vehicles, RTAs keep on increasing causing mild to severe injuries to eyes, the special organ designed for vision. Eyeball is anatomically well protected inside bony orbit socket and orbital margin, covered anteriorly by eye lids with lashes, embedded in cushion of retro bulbar pad of fat behind. Inspite of all these protection it is vulnerable to injuries. Ocular trauma is single most important cause of monocular blindness Worldwide and second leading cause of visual impairment and blindness in all age groups. Eye injuries not only results in defective or loss of vision but creates enormous loss to both victim and society productivity Eye trauma is an evolving sub specialty of its own. The recent breakthrough in understanding mechanisms of injury has dramatically improved the management of eye injuries. A lot of research has been done in the past, regarding blunt or penetrating injuries of eye. But surprisingly very few datas are available regarding road traffic accidents and ocular injuries even though it is a common occurrence in daily outpatient department in a multi specialty hospital like our hospital. So it is of great relevance to create a data regarding RTA and ocular injuries and its effects in a multi specialty hospital like Stanley medical college and hospital located in a heavily populated place like north madras surrounded by lot of industries. AIM OF THE STUDY: To study the magnitude and effects of ocular injuries due to road traffic accidents (RTA) and various factors associated with it. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a study carried out in the patients who suffered RTA and treated as outpatients and inpatients in Stanley medical college and hospital during a period of 2 years patients were taken for study from October 2009 to September 2011 and follow up for each case is a minimum 6 months. This is a randomly conducted study and demographic data and details of injuries obtained. RESULTS: Out of 152 patients, 138 were males and14 were females which is about 10:1 ratio. Regarding age distribution, the maximum numbers of patients were in the age group between 20 to 30 and 30 to 40, about 108 which accounts for 42.1%. Occupation of the patients shows that the risky group in the study were professional drivers and office goers followed by students. Women were the least involved. Grievous injuries: Corneal lacerartion-3.9% Traumatic cataract-3.9% Vitreous hemmorage-3.9% Retinal detatchment-2.6% Traumatic optic neuropathy-3.9% The above grievious injuries noted are more when compared to ocular trauma due to other causes. CONCLUSION: According to this RTA and ocular trauma study conducted at Stanley medical college, ophthalmology department, the following conclusions were made. The incidence of road traffic accidents is increasing with the increase in vehicle population. The higher incidence of trauma in men is attributed to the fact that men in our society are exposed to higher level of risk due to RTA since they are more exposed to highway traffic in a heavily populated industrial area like North Chennai. The age group involved in RTA is becoming younger since younger age groups are using more vehicles especially 2 wheelers