Clinical profile and visual outcome of ocular injuries in a rural area of western India.

BACKGROUND Ocular trauma is a major cause of visual impairment and morbidity worldwide. AIMS To identify the various type of ocular injury in a rural area, determine the presence of any associated visual damage and assess the final visual outcome after treatment. METHOD Hospital-based, prospective study conducted over a period of two years. A total of 60 patients of ocular trauma were included. RESULTS Ocular injuries were more commonly seen in adult (55 per cent) patients who were associated with agricultural work (43.33 per cent). They were more common in male patients (71.67 per cent). Closed globe injury (68.33 per cent) was more common than open globe injury (31.67 per cent). Both in open and closed globe injuries, the commonest object causing injury was a wooden stick. Just 26.7 per cent of the patients had a visual acuity better than 6/60 at presentation; while after completed treatment at two months follow-up, 68.3 per cent had best corrected visual acuity better than 6/60. CONCLUSION Agricultural trauma is an important cause of monocular blindness in rural India. The visual outcome depends upon the site and size of the injury and the extent of the ocular damage.