Pediatric Ocular Trauma Workshop - AAPOS

Pediatric ocular trauma is a major cause of ocular morbidity in children and is a leading cause of non congenital unilateral blindness in this age group. Every year a quarter of a million children present with serious ocular trauma and the vast majority of these injuries are preventable. Estimates of the incidence of serious ocular trauma varies from 8.85 to 15.2 per 100,000 per year. Extrapolation using global population data suggests that every year 160,000 to 180,000 children under 15 years sustain an ocular trauma serious enough to require hospitalization. 21% to 24% are penetrating globe injuries. Those that are less serious are more numerous: 95% of ocular injuries in this age group do not require hospitalization, suggesting that the number of eye injuries in children under 15 years of age might be as high as 3.3 to 5.7 million cases annually. Abbott J, Shah P. The epidemiology and etiology of pediatric ocular trauma. Surv Ophthalmol 2013 Sept-Oct;58(5):476-85. Choovuthayakorn J, Patikulsila P, Patikulsila D, Watanachai N, Pimolrat W. Characteristics and outcomes of pediatric open globe injuries. Int Ophthalmol Clinics 2013 Dec 22 (Epub ahead of print).