Explosive eye injuries: characteristics, traumatic mechanisms, and prognostic factors for poor visual outcomes

Background: Explosions can produce blast waves, high-speed medium, thermal radiation, and chemical spatter,leading to complex and compound eye injuries. However, few studies have comprehensively investigated the clinical features of different eye injury types or possible risk factors for poor prognosis.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all consecutive records of explosive eye injuries(1449 eyes in 1115 inpatients)in 14 tertiary referral hospitals in China over 12 years(between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2019). Data on demographics, eye injury types, ocular findings, treatments, and factors affecting visual prognosis were extracted from a standardized database of eye injuries and statistically analyzed.Results: Mechanical ocular trauma accounted for 94.00% of explosion-related eye injuries, among which intraocular foreign bodies(IOFBs) resulted in 55.17% of open globe injuries(OGIs) and contusion caused 60.22% of close globe injuries(CGIs). Proliferative vitreous retinopathy(PVR) was more common in perforating(47.06%) and IOFB(26.84%)than in penetrating(8.79%) injuries, and more common with laceration(24.25%) than rupture(9.22%, P<0.01).However, no difference was observed between rupture and contusion. Ultimately, 9.59% of eyes were removed and the final vision was ≤4/200 in 45.82% of patients. Poor presenting vision [odds ratio(OR)=5.789], full-thickness laceration of the eyeball ≥5 mm(OR=3.665), vitreous hemorrhage(OR=3.474), IOFB(OR=3.510), non-mechanical eye injury(NMEI, OR=2.622), rupture(OR=2.362), traumatic optic neuropathy(OR=2.102), retinal detachment(RD,OR=2.033), endophthalmitis(OR=3.281), contusion(OR=1.679), ciliary body detachment(OR=6.592), zone Ⅲ OGI(OR=1.940), and PVR(OR=1.615) were significant negative predictors for poor visual outcomes(P<0.05).Conclusions: Explosion ocular trauma has complex mechanisms, with multiple eyes involved and poor prognosis. In lethal level Ⅰ explosion injuries, eyeball rupture is a serious condition, whereas contusion is more likely to improve. In level Ⅱ injuries, IOFBs are more harmful than penetrating injuries, and level Ⅳ represents burn-related eye injuries.PVR is more associated with penetrating mechanisms than with OGI. Identifying the risk predictors for visual prognosis can guide clinicians in the evaluation and treatment of ocular blast injuries.

Analysis on sports and recreation activity-related eye injuries presenting to the Emergency Department

AIM：To investigate the incidence and general characteristics of sports-related eye injuries in patients visiting the Emergency Department. METHODS： A cross-sectional,multi-center,observational study.Patients with an injured eye who visited the Emergency Department at one of nine hospitals in Korea were enrolled.All data were prospectively collected between March and September 2010 using a questionnaire.Eye injuries that occurred during risky sports were examined by gender and age.Additionally,the rate of open globe injuries that occurred with and without protective eyewear was examined for each activity.Continuous variables were compared using Student＇s t-test and categorical variables were compared using Chi-square test.RESULTS： A total of 446 patients had sports-related eye injuries.Teenagers（10-19 years old） and young adults（20-29 years old） had the most eye injuries.Eye injuries accounted for 0.2% of Emergency Department patients.Baseball was the most common cause of sports-related eye injuries,followed by soccer and hiking.Protective gear was worn by 9.4% of all patients.Patients that were 30-39 years of age had the highest rate of protective gear use,followed by patients that were 40-49 years of age.The proportion of sports-related eye injuries that were open-globe injuries was highest for soccer and hiking.CONCLUSION： Although injuries were most common in patients below the age of 10 years,these patients had the lowest rate of protective eyewear use.Injuries in adults over 40 years of age most commonly occurred during hiking,but the rate of protective eyewear use was low.Young athletes should be educated on and provided with protective eyewear and policies protective gear use should be established.For older adults,eye protection should be encouraged,especially during hiking.

A 10-Year Survey of Severe Eye Injuries in Sport in Belgrade,Serbia 2000-2009

Introduction: The eye injuries inflicted in different sport activities are relatively rare and depend upon the type of sport. They are more common in recreational sport activities. These injuries are generally minor but may be very severe and result in permanent vision impairment. One must be aware of the fact that these sport activities, either recreative or professional, are exercised by young people. Methods: All analyzed patients were hospitalized at the Clinic of Eye Diseases, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, for severe eye injuries which occurred in sport activities. The analyzed period included 10 years, from the beginning of 2000 to the end of 2009. Results: In this period, a total of 117 patients with eye injuries sustained in some of sport activities were hospitalized. There were 114 (97.5%) injured males. Mean age of the injured was 25.8 years, and there were no individuals older than 50 years of age. Closed eyeball injures were reported in 96.6% and open injuries were seen in the remaining 3.4% of cases. During recreational sports, the eye injuries occurred in 76.1%, in the school—19.6%, and in professional sport—4.3% of the time. The injured individuals were as follows: pupils—35.0%, students—17.9%, workers—22.2%, clerks—20.6% and professional players—4.3% of cases. Upon completed treatment, visual acuity was normal in 77.8%, subnormal in 16.2%, impaired in 3.4% and amaurosis in 2.6% of cases.

Common eye drops and their implications for p H measurements in the management of chemical eye injuries

Dear Sir,Eye drops(single use)commonly used in clinics do have varying pH values.The use of such drops in the initial management of chemical eye injury may influence the accuracy of pH measurement of the eye,and subsequently influence its management.Chemical eye injury is an ophthalmic emergency,which may be caused by exposure to an acidic(pH【4)or an alkali(pH】10)solution to the eye.Rinsing the eye decreases the concentration of these solutions on ocular surface.The initial management would be copious irrigation with clean or sterile water or Ringer’s solution(pH 7.3-7.4)or its equivalent,of a

Comparison of the effects of intravitreal bevacizumab and dexamethasone in experimental posterior penetrating eye injury

AIM： To compare the effects of intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor（VEGF） and dexamethasone in an experimental rabbit model of posterior penetrating ocular injury.METHODS： Thirty white New Zealand rabbits were included in the study. A posterior penetrating ocular injury was performed at the superotemporal quadrant. They were randomly divided into three groups. The rabbits in group 1 received intravitreal dexamethasone, in group 2 they received intravitreal bevacizumab and those in group 3 received intravitreal physiological saline solution in both eyes. All eyes were examined ophthalmologically on the 1^st, 3^rd, 7^th, 14^th and 28^th days following the injury and the clinical findings were scored. On the day 28, the eyes were enucleated, evaluated and scored macroscopically, histopathologically and scanning electron microscopically.RESULTS： The median clinical score on the 14 th and 28 th days and the median macroscopic score of the dexamethasone group was significantly better than that of control（P=0.004, 0.018）. Dexamethasone group was also better than that of bevacizumab group but the differences did not reach statistical significance. Retinal detachment rate was 8.3%, 16.6% and 12.5% in the dexamethasone group, bevacizumab group and control group, respectively（P=0.476）. More extensive fibrocelluler proliferations were observed in controls compared with dexamethasone and bevacizumab groups. But these differences did not reach the statistical significance（P=0.538）. In scanning electron microscopy all groups showed fibreous stalk and dense collagen fibrils in vitreous. CONCLUSION： This study shows that intravitreal injection of both dexamethasone and bevacizumab may reduce the intraocular fibrous proliferation after an experimental posterior penetrating ocular injury in rabbits.

A clinical study of penetrating craniocerebral injuries caused by firearms

Penetrating craniocerebral firearm injuries remains one of the most lethal of all head traumas and are common in both war and peace time. Data were reviewed for 6487 moderately, severely head injuring patients (Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores 3 to 12) tre

Epidemiology of children and adolescent eye injuries in British Columbia

To quantify and characterize children and adolescent eye injuries treated in trauma department.METHODSA retrospective analysis was conducted of children and adolescent patients （0-19 years of age） with eye injuries using the British Columbia Trauma Registry （BCTR） data. BCTR data was obtained from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2008. The BCTR provides the most detailed information on severe injuries throughout the province of BC. There are 12 trauma-receiving facilities in BC from which BCTR collects data.RESULTSA total of 162 patients with eye injuries were registered in BCTR during the data collection period. The highest number of injuries occurred in the 15-19 age group, followed by 10-14 and 5-9 age groups. Seventy-one point six percent of all patients were male. The mean age for all patients was 12.9 （SD = 5.8） years. Vehicular crash was by far the most common mechanism of injury among all patients （42.0%） followed by blunt injury （14.2%） and cuts （12.3%）. The child and adolescent eye injury data set we used for our study indicated that there were in total, 50 patients that were tested for alcohol and drug use. The majority of them were 15-19 years of age （ n = 38）. Among the tested eye injury patients in the 15-19 age group, 47% （18/38） tested positive for alcohol. There were approximately 30 cases of physical fighting （assault） and fighting-related injury among adolescents. Some injuries were caused by use of fire arms and knife during the assaults. Out of all patients, 62 （38%） were seen by an Ophthalmologist on admission, whereas 100 （62%） patients were not seen by an eye specialist on admission. The most common injury diagnosis among the patients not consulted by ophthalmologist was conjunctiva injury （53%）, whereas almost 9 out of 10 patients with ophtha-lmological consultation had laceration of cornea injury diagnoses. Using Glasgow Coma Scale （GCS）-basedclassification of brain injury severity, 3.7% of all patients were classified with severe brain injury （GCS ≤ 8）, while more than 64% had diagnosed with a mild brain injury （GCS ≥ 13）.CONCLUSIONThis study suggests that most child and adolescent eye injuries in BC occur at street/highway locations followed by incidents at home. Vehicular crash was by far the most common mechanism of injury among all patients （42%）. Sixty-four point two percent of child and adolescent eyeinjury patients also had mild brain injuries. Further, the child and adolescent eye injury data set we used for our study indicated that there were in total, 50 patients tested for alcohol and drug use. There is an urgent need for a child and adolescent eye injury prevention plan in our province.

Acute penetrating injury of the spinal cord by a wooden spike with delayed surgery:a case report

Rarely,penetrating injuries to the spinal cord result from wooden objects,creating unique challenges to mitigate neurological injury and high rates of infection and foreign body reactions.We report a man who sustained a penetrating cervical spinal cord injury from a sharpened stick.While initially tetraparetic,he rapidly recovered function.The risks of neurological deterioration during surgical removal made the patient reluctant to consent to surgery despite the impalement of the spinal cord.A repeat MRI on day 3 showed an extension of edema indicating progressive inflammation.On the 7~(th)day after injury,fever and paresthesias occurred with a large increase in serum inflammatory indicators,and the patient agreed to undergo surgical removal of the wooden object.We discuss the management nuances related to wood,the longitudinal evolution of MRI findings,infection risk,surgical risk mitigation and technique,an inflammatory marker profile,long-term recovery,and the surprisingly minimal neurological deficits associated with low-velocity midline spinal cord injuries.The patient had an excellent clinical outcome.The main lessons are that a wooden penetrating central nervous system injury has a high risk for infection,and that surgical removal from the spinal cord should be performed soon after injury and under direct visualization.

Frontal penetrating arrow injury:A case report

BACKGROUND Penetrating arrow injuries of the head and neck are exceedingly rare in pediatric patients.This pathology has high morbidity and mortality because of the presence of vital organs,the airway,and large vessels.Therefore,the treatment and removal of an arrow is a challenge that requires multidisciplinary management.CASE SUMMARY A 13-year-old boy was brought to the emergency room after an arrow injury to the frontal region.The arrowhead was lodged in the oropharynx.Imaging studies showed a lesion of the paranasal sinuses without compromising vital structures.The arrow was successfully removed by retrograde nasoendoscopy without complications,and the patient was discharged.CONCLUSION Although rare,maxillofacial arrow injuries have high morbidity and mortality and require multidisciplinary management to preserve function and aesthetics.

Silicone oil migrating into the conjunctival space and orbit after surgery for an eye-penetrating injury:A case report

BACKGROUND We report a case of eye-penetrating injury in which a massive silicone oil migration into the patient’s subconjunctival space and orbit occurred after vitrectomy.CASE SUMMARY A 30-year-old male patient sought medical attention at Ganzhou People’s Hospital after experiencing pain and vision loss in his left eye due to a nail wound on December 9,2023.Diagnosis of penetrating injury caused by magnetic foreign body retention in the left eye and hospitalization for treatment.On December 9,2023,pars plana vitrectomy was performed on the left eye for intraocular foreign body removal,abnormal crystal extraction,retinal photocoagulation.Owing to the discovery of retinal detachment at the posterior pole during surgery,silicone oil was injected to fill the vitreous body,following which upper conjunctival bubble-like swelling was observed.Postoperative orbital computed tomography(CT)review indicated migration of silicone oil to the subconjunctival space and orbit through a self-permeable outlet.On December 18,2023,the patient sought treatment at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University,China.The patient presented with a pronounced foreign body sensation following left eye surgery.On December 20,2023,the foreign body was removed from the left eye frame and an intraocular examination was conducted.The posterior scleral tear had closed,leading to termination of the surgical procedure following supplementary laser treatment around the tear.The patient reported a significant reduction in ocular surface symptoms just one day after surgery.Furthermore,a notable decrease in the migration of silicone oil was observed in orbital CT scans.CONCLUSION The timing of silicone oil injection for an eye-penetrating injury should be carefully evaluated to avoid the possibility of silicone oil migration.

Novel rodent models of penetrating traumatic brain injury

A penetrating traumatic brain injury（pTBI）occurs when an object impacts the head with sufficient energy to penetrate skin,cranial bone and meninges to inflict injury directly to the brain parenchyma.This type of injury is particularly common in areas plagued by armed conflicts or gun-related violence.

Effect of corneal graft diameter on therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty for fungal keratitis

AIM: To evaluate the effect of corneal graft diameter on therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty(PKP) for fungal keratitis. METHODS: A total of 116 patients (116 eyes) suffered from fungal keratitis underwent PKP at the Affiliated Hospital of Medical College Qingdao University from May 2006 to May 2010. They were divided into two groups according to the corneal graft diameter. 64 eyes' corneal graft diameter was 8.00mm or larger and 52 eyes' graft diameter was smaller than 8.00mm. The follow-up time was 2 years. The postoperative visual acuity and complications were documented and compared. RESULTS: Sixty-two (96.88%) eyes and fifty (96.15%) eyes preserved eyeballs respectively in two groups. There was no statistical difference in postoperative visual acuity (P = 0.961), corneal graft dear rate (P=0.132) or the incidence of recurred fungal infection (P=0.770) between two groups. But there was a higher incidence of graft rejection (P=0.020) and secondary glaucoma (P=0.039) in group with corneal graft diameter 8.00mm or larger. CONCLUSION: PKP is an effective treatment approach for fungal keratitis. There is a higher incidence of complications in large-diameter PKP for fungal keratitis.Effective, preventive and therapeutic measures can improve the prognosis.

Intentional Penetrating Craniocerebral Injury Caused by a Nail: Clinical Presentation and Management of Three Cases

The authors report on their experience in the medical and surgical management of three cases of penetrating craniocerebral injuries caused by a nail. In all three cases, it was an aggression. Two of the three patients were male. The cranial locations affected were respectively left parietal, right temporal and right frontal. The Glasgow coma score (GCS) was between 9 and 13. None of the patients had a motor deficit. A plain skull radiographs was performed for each patient. All patients underwent surgery and all received antibiotic therapy and tetanus vaccination. In two cases, post-operative outcome was simple. Recovery was complete without sequelae. The patient with a GCS of 9 died the day after surgery.

Transorbital nonmissile penetrating brain injury: Report of two cases

BACKGROUND Penetrating brain injury(PBI) is an uncommon emergency in neurosurgery, and transorbital PBI is a rare type of PBI. Reasonable surgical planning and careful postoperative management can improve the prognosis of patients CASE SUMMARY The first case is a 68-year-old male patient who was admitted to the hospital because a branch punctured his brain through the orbit for approximately 9 h after he unexpectedly fell while walking. After admission, the patient underwent emergency surgical treatment and postoperative anti-infection treatment. The patient was able to follow instructions at a 4-mo follow-up review. The other case is a 46-year-old male patient who was admitted to the hospital due to an intraorbital foreign body caused by a car accident, after which the patient was unconscious for approximately 6 h. After admission, the patient underwent emergency surgical treatment and postoperative anti-infection treatment. The patient could correctly answer questions at a 3-mo follow-up review.CONCLUSION Transorbital PBI is a rare and acute disease. Early diagnosis, surgical intervention, and application of intravenous antibiotics can improve the prognosis and quality of life of patients.

Endoluminal closure of an unrecognized penetrating stab wound of the duodenum with endoscopic band ligation: A case report

BACKGROUND A penetrating injury of a hollow viscus is an obvious indication for an exploratory laparotomy,but is not typically an indication for endoscopic treatment.CASE SUMMARY A 27-year-old man visited the emergency department with a self-inflicted abdominal stab wound.Injuries to the colon and ileum were detected,but an injury to the second portion of the duodenum was missed.On the day following admission to our institution,the patient became hemodynamically unstable with massive hematochezia,although there was no evidence of bleeding in the Levin tube or Jackson-Pratt drain.We thus performed an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and discovered a missed duodenal injury that was actively bleeding.An endoscopic band ligation was performed for hemostasis and closure of the perforation.The patient was subsequently discharged without any complications.CONCLUSION A penetrating injury of the duodenum can be overlooked,so careful abdominal exploration is very important.If a missed duodenal injury is suspected,a cautious endoscopic approach may be helpful.

Abscess rate of patients with penetrating abdominal injury in Zaria

Background: Penetrating abdominal injury occurs when a foreign object pierces the skin. The morbidity and mortality associated with penetrating abdominal trauma is related to the intra-abdominal complications. This study is, therefore, intended to determine the abscess rate resulting from penetrating abdominal trauma in Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital Zaria. Method: A 6-year (January 2006-December 2011) retrospective study of penetrating abdominal trauma emphasizing on the rate of development of intra-abdominal abscess. Information was obtained from patients’ case notes, operating room log books and surgical audit data. Information extracted included cases of penetrating abdominal trauma, intra-operative findings and cases of intra-abdominal abscesses. Results: A total of 39 cases of penetrating abdominal trauma were treated within this period of six years. 3 (7.7%) were treated in 2006, 6 (15.4%) in 2007, 3 (7.7%) in 2008 and 11 (28.2%) in 2009, 8 (20.5%) in 2010, 9 (23.1%) in 2011. 26 (66.7%) were adult while 13 (33.3%) were paediatric cases. The male were 37 (94.9%) and the female were 2 (5.1%), with a sex ratio of 18.5:1 (male to female). The age range was 5 -60 years (39.92 mean). The commonest cause of injury was road traffic accident. At exploration, 13 (33.3%) had organ injury only, 17 (43.6%) suffer from both organ injury and intra-peritoneal emorrhage, 9 (23.1%) had retroperitoneal haemorrhage only. The intra-abdominal abscess rate of penetrating abdominal injury in Zaria was found to be 2.6%. Conclusion: Contamination from either foreign object or organ injury is found to increase the risk of post-operative intra-abdominal abscess. In this center, the abscess rate of penetrating abdominal trauma is comparatively low.

Anesthetic Management of a Rare Penetrating Traumatic Brain Injury Caused by a Pickaxe: A Case Report

Penetrating traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are frequent neurosurgical emergencies, associated with a high mortality rate and we almost no previous report on a penetrating pickaxe TBI. Herein, we report and discuss the anesthetic challenges encountered in the surgical extraction a pickaxe from a patient with TBI. We present the case of a 34-year-old man who with a penetrating pickaxe TBI at his left temporal region, signs of raised intracranial pressure and normal vital signs. Anesthetic management began within 3 hours of admission and consisted of general anesthesia and rapid sequence intubation. Surgical extraction of a 14 cm long wing of the pickaxe was achieved with good hemostatic control. His postoperative course was marked by complete blindness of the right eye till one year of follow-up. The authors highlight the need of a prompt multidisciplinary management with close perioperative monitoring of haemostatic control and signs of raised intracranial pressure as key factors for a favourable postoperative outcome.

A Rare Case of Fish Bone Penetrating Injury to Radius Causing Osteitis and Non-Healing Sinus

Penetrating injury to radius or any other bone by fish bone is a rare kind of injury. Commonly metallic sharp objects, bullets, sharpnels, glass particles, hard wooden pieces are the causes of penetrating injury to bones. Radio-opaque objects are easy to detect and thus retrieval is relatively simpler than the radiolucent objects. Non-biological foreign bodies do not incite any reaction in the host bone whereas biological foreign bodies of either plant or animal origin cause hypersensitivity reaction. Osteitis along with excessive formation of new bones may be presented as a part of host reaction to the foreign body. We are presenting here an interesting case of a fisherman boy who sustained penetrating injury to radius by fish bone resulting in osteitis and a chronic non-healing sinus with watery discharge.

Autologous tenon capsule packing to treat posterior exit wound of penetrating injury: A case report

BACKGROUND This study reports a case of autologous tenon capsule packing to treat the posterior exit wound of penetrating injury.CASE SUMMARY To treat a 58-year-old male patient with penetrating eyeball injury caused by an iron sheet,we used autologous tenon capsule packing.Two months after removal of the silicone oil,the corrected visual acuity was 0.3,the retina was flat,the tenon capsule graft was in place,the posterior wound closed well,and the intraocular pressure was 15.8 mmHg.CONCLUSION Autologous tenon capsule packing to treat the posterior exit wound of penetrating injury is safe and effective.