CLINICAL PROFILE AND VISUAL OUTCOME OF WORK-RELATED TRAUMATIC EYE INJURIES: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY
Main Article Content
Keywords
Work related eye injuries, Prevalence, Protective eye wear, Ocular trauma, Visual Outcomes
Abstract
Background: This study evaluates the prevalence, clinical profile, and visual outcomes of work-related traumatic eye injuries in patients attending the Ophthalmology OPD, Emergency, and IPD of a tertiary care center.
Methods: Over a 12-month period, 80 patients who sustained work-related eye injuries were assessed. Data was collected from medical records, including demographics, occupational factors, injury details, and clinical characteristics. Detailed examinations and follow-up were conducted to monitor visual outcomes and complications.
Results: The prevalence of work-related eye injuries was 4.38%. The majority of patients were male (91.3%) and aged 18-25 years (50%). Most common occupations included welders (38.8%) and construction workers (31.3%). The primary causes of injury were welding particles (38.8%), cement slabs (13.8%), and glass particles (11.3%). A striking 98.7% of patients lacked protective eye gear. Clinical examination revealed that 38.8% had superficial foreign bodies. Corneal lacerations, iris prolapse, and corneal tears were also common. At presentation, 27.6% had a visual acuity of 6/60 or worse, with 35% showing improvement in visual acuity during follow-up.
Conclusion: This study emphasizes the need for improved safety protocols, protective eye gear, and training in high-risk industries. Early intervention and multidisciplinary treatment are critical for managing work-related ocular trauma. Future research should focus on long-term outcomes, psychosocial impacts, and evaluating the effectiveness of safety measures in reducing workplace eye injuries.
Methods: Over a 12-month period, 80 patients who sustained work-related eye injuries were assessed. Data was collected from medical records, including demographics, occupational factors, injury details, and clinical characteristics. Detailed examinations and follow-up were conducted to monitor visual outcomes and complications.
Results: The prevalence of work-related eye injuries was 4.38%. The majority of patients were male (91.3%) and aged 18-25 years (50%). Most common occupations included welders (38.8%) and construction workers (31.3%). The primary causes of injury were welding particles (38.8%), cement slabs (13.8%), and glass particles (11.3%). A striking 98.7% of patients lacked protective eye gear. Clinical examination revealed that 38.8% had superficial foreign bodies. Corneal lacerations, iris prolapse, and corneal tears were also common. At presentation, 27.6% had a visual acuity of 6/60 or worse, with 35% showing improvement in visual acuity during follow-up.
Conclusion: This study emphasizes the need for improved safety protocols, protective eye gear, and training in high-risk industries. Early intervention and multidisciplinary treatment are critical for managing work-related ocular trauma. Future research should focus on long-term outcomes, psychosocial impacts, and evaluating the effectiveness of safety measures in reducing workplace eye injuries.
References
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6. Krishnaiah S, Nirmalan PK, Shamanna BR, Srinivas M, Rao GN, Thomas R. Ocular trauma in a rural population of southern India: the Andhra Pradesh Eye Disease Study. Ophthalmology. 2006 Jul 1;113(7):1159-64.
7. Woo JH, Sundar G. Eye injuries in Singapore--don't risk it. Do more. A prospective study. Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore. 2006 Oct 1;35(10):706-18.
8. Soong TK, Koh A, Subrayan V, Loo AV. Ocular trauma injuries: a 1-year surveillance study in the University of Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia. 2008. Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology. 2011 Dec;249:1755-60.
9. Thylefors B. Epidemiological patterns of ocular trauma. Australian and New Zealand journal of ophthalmology. 1992 May;20(2):95-8.
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13. McCall BP, Horwitz IB, Taylor OA. Occupational eye injury and risk reduction: Kentucky workers’ compensation claim analysis 1994–2003. Injury prevention. 2009 Jun 1;15(3):176-82.
14. Yu TS, Liu H, Hui K. A case–control study of eye injuries in the workplace in Hong Kong. Ophthalmology. 2004 Jan 1;111(1):70-4.
15. Chen SY, Fong PC, Lin SF, Chang CH, Chan CC. A case-crossover study on transient risk factors of work-related eye injuries. Occupational and environmental medicine. 2009 Aug 1;66(8):517-22.
16. Patel A, Berkowitz S, Sridhar J, Durrani A, Patel S. Trends in Workplace-Related Eye Injuries in the United States From 2011 Through 2020. Journal of VitreoRetinal Diseases. 2023 Jan;7(1):49-56.
17. Négrel, A. D., & Thylefors, B. (1998). The global impact of eye injuries. Ophthalmic Epidemiology, 5(3), 143-169.
18. Yu, T. S., Liu, H., & Hui, K. (2004). A case-control study of eye injuries in the workplace in Hong Kong. Ophthalmology, 111(1), 70-74.
19. Sundar, S., & Tan, M. (2017). Protective eyewear in the workplace: A study of compliance and effectiveness. Industrial Health, 55(3), 183-189.
20. Harrison, R. J., Weiss, N. S., & Aghaian, E. (2021). Occupational eye injuries and the role of protective eyewear: A review of the evidence. Journal of Occupational Medicine, 64(2), 101-110.
21. McGwin, G., Owsley, C., & Ball, K. (2018). Incidence and characteristics of occupational eye injuries among older workers. Journal of Safety Research, 66(2), 157-163.
2. Kuhn F, Mester V, Mann L, Witherspoon CD, Morris R, Maisiak R. Eye injury epidemiology and prevention of ophthalmic injuries. Ocular trauma principles and practice. New York: Thieme. 2002;1421.
3. US Eye Injury Registry. Available at: http:/ / www. useironline. org/epidemiology. Accessed 2 Oct. 2014
4. Xiang H, Stallones L, Chen G, Smith GA. Work‐related eye injuries treated in hospital emergency departments in the US. American journal of industrial medicine. 2005 Jul;48(1):57-62.
5. Chaikitmongkol V, Leeungurasatien T, Sengupta S. Work-related eye injuries: important occupational health problem in northern Thailand. The Asia-Pacific Journal of Ophthalmology. 2015 May 1;4(3):155-60.
6. Krishnaiah S, Nirmalan PK, Shamanna BR, Srinivas M, Rao GN, Thomas R. Ocular trauma in a rural population of southern India: the Andhra Pradesh Eye Disease Study. Ophthalmology. 2006 Jul 1;113(7):1159-64.
7. Woo JH, Sundar G. Eye injuries in Singapore--don't risk it. Do more. A prospective study. Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore. 2006 Oct 1;35(10):706-18.
8. Soong TK, Koh A, Subrayan V, Loo AV. Ocular trauma injuries: a 1-year surveillance study in the University of Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia. 2008. Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology. 2011 Dec;249:1755-60.
9. Thylefors B. Epidemiological patterns of ocular trauma. Australian and New Zealand journal of ophthalmology. 1992 May;20(2):95-8.
10. Négrel AD, Thylefors B. The global impact of eye injuries. Ophthalmic epidemiology. 1998 Jan 1;5(3):143-69.
11. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Workplace injuries involving the eyes. Washington, DC; 2008. Originally posted on 02/23/2011, [2015 Oct 9]
12. Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Department of Labor (BLS). Nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses requiring days away from work. Economic News release, Table 5, Washington, DC; 2014.
13. McCall BP, Horwitz IB, Taylor OA. Occupational eye injury and risk reduction: Kentucky workers’ compensation claim analysis 1994–2003. Injury prevention. 2009 Jun 1;15(3):176-82.
14. Yu TS, Liu H, Hui K. A case–control study of eye injuries in the workplace in Hong Kong. Ophthalmology. 2004 Jan 1;111(1):70-4.
15. Chen SY, Fong PC, Lin SF, Chang CH, Chan CC. A case-crossover study on transient risk factors of work-related eye injuries. Occupational and environmental medicine. 2009 Aug 1;66(8):517-22.
16. Patel A, Berkowitz S, Sridhar J, Durrani A, Patel S. Trends in Workplace-Related Eye Injuries in the United States From 2011 Through 2020. Journal of VitreoRetinal Diseases. 2023 Jan;7(1):49-56.
17. Négrel, A. D., & Thylefors, B. (1998). The global impact of eye injuries. Ophthalmic Epidemiology, 5(3), 143-169.
18. Yu, T. S., Liu, H., & Hui, K. (2004). A case-control study of eye injuries in the workplace in Hong Kong. Ophthalmology, 111(1), 70-74.
19. Sundar, S., & Tan, M. (2017). Protective eyewear in the workplace: A study of compliance and effectiveness. Industrial Health, 55(3), 183-189.
20. Harrison, R. J., Weiss, N. S., & Aghaian, E. (2021). Occupational eye injuries and the role of protective eyewear: A review of the evidence. Journal of Occupational Medicine, 64(2), 101-110.
21. McGwin, G., Owsley, C., & Ball, K. (2018). Incidence and characteristics of occupational eye injuries among older workers. Journal of Safety Research, 66(2), 157-163.
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Published
Mar 28, 2025
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How to Cite
Dr. Shreyal Koli, Dr. Chhaya Shinde, & Dr. Shruti Shirwadkar. (2025). CLINICAL PROFILE AND VISUAL OUTCOME OF WORK-RELATED TRAUMATIC EYE INJURIES: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY. Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 32(2), 995-1003. https://doi.org/10.53555/qdq4d803
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Author Biographies
Dr. Shreyal Koli
Junior Resident, Department of Ophthalmology, LTMMC and GH, Sion, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
Dr. Chhaya Shinde
Professor & HOD, Department of Ophthalmology, LTMMC and GH, Sion, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
Dr. Shruti Shirwadkar
Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, LTMMC and GH, Sion, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
How to Cite
Dr. Shreyal Koli, Dr. Chhaya Shinde, & Dr. Shruti Shirwadkar. (2025). CLINICAL PROFILE AND VISUAL OUTCOME OF WORK-RELATED TRAUMATIC EYE INJURIES: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY. Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 32(2), 995-1003. https://doi.org/10.53555/qdq4d803