Preventable Cause of Vision Loss: Demographic and Clinical Findings of Penetrating Eye Injuries

Abstract Background/Aims: To raise awareness about the preventability of penetrating eye injuries and to contribute to the implementation of appropriate protective measures by identifying the causes and risk factors of such injuries. Methods: Approval was obtained from the Local Ethics Committee of Selçuk University Faculty of Medicine for the study (12.03.2024, 2024/155). The files of patients who applied to the Department of Ophthalmology due to penetrating eye injury and underwent repair for penetrating eye injury between 2019-2023 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients' age, gender, the location where the trauma occurred, the incident causing the injury, the presence of a foreign body in the eye after the injury, and the need for repeated surgeries were examined, and the follow-up periods of the patients were recorded. The obtained data were analyzed using the SPSS software (version 22.0, IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results: A total of 107 patient files were included in the study. The most common trauma location was outdoor/garden/street at 41.12% (n=44), followed by workplace at 25.23% (n=27) and home at 23.36% (n=25). Among the causes of trauma, metal objects were the leading cause at 23.36% (n=25), followed by natural objects at 14.95% (n=16), and cutting/piercing tools at 11.21% (n=12). The most frequent injuries were corneal injuries (n=43, 40.19%). Thirty-seven patients required additional surgery, with the most common second surgery being cataract surgery (n=22, 20.56%). A foreign body inside the eye was detected in 24 patients. Conclusions: Penetrating eye injuries are a significant cause of preventable vision loss. Public education, raising awareness, early intervention methods, and encouraging the use of protective equipment are critically important in preventing these injuries. Keywords: eye health, penetrating eye injuries, preventable vision loss, protective eyewear