IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON PEDIATRIC OCULAR TRAUMA DURING SUMMER BREAK

The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped nearly every aspect of daily life, imposing restrictions that altered children’s routines and environmental exposures. Objective: The basic aim of the study is to find the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric ocular trauma in a tertiary care eye hospital in Pakistan. Methods: This retrospective comparative study was conducted at the Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus at Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi from a one-year pandemic period, spanning from 1st June to 31st August of 2019(pre-pandemic) and 2020 (pandemic). Data were collected from 385 pediatric patients who were admitted to the department for ocular trauma treatment during these two one-year periods. Results: Data were collected from 385 patients with total cases rising from 190 pre-pandemic to 195. In both periods, the majority of cases involved male patients (60%), with female cases making up 40%. The average age of affected children remained consistent at 8.5 years, and the most frequently affected age group was 6-10 years. Blunt trauma cases increased from 45% (86 cases) pre-pandemic to 50% (98 cases) during the pandemic, likely due to increased time spent indoors with potential household hazards. Penetrating injuries, however, decreased from 30% (57 cases) to 25% (49 cases), possibly reflecting reduced outdoor play. Conclusion: It is concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in household-related pediatric ocular trauma, with a higher proportion of severe injuries and delayed treatment impacting recovery outcomes.