Trauma-induced corneal epithelial defects may lead to persistent epithelial defects exacerbated by prolonged use of bandage lenses

ObjectiveTo investigate the causes of corneal epithelial defects (CEDs) due to mechanical trauma and analyze the risk factors for progression to persistent epithelial defects (PEDs).MethodA retrospective analyze 241 patients (241 eyes) with CEDs caused by mechanical ocular trauma. All patients received initial treatment as outpatients at our hospital. Data collected included patients' basic information, injury causes, use of adjunctive treatments, improvement in symptoms and adverse reactions before and after treatment. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between the causes of injury, the use of adjunctive treatments, and the occurrence of persistent corneal epithelial defects.ResultsThe study involved 241 patients: 164 males (68.1%) and 77 females (31.9%), averaging 38.06 ± 17.88 years old. The most common age groups were 31-40 years (24.1%), 41-50 years (19.9%), and 51-60 years (18.2%). The top five causes of injury were finger pokes (20.4%), impacts from plastic objects (14.6%), branch strikes (13.3%), paper cuts (8.8%), and metal scratches (8.3%). 164 patients used recombinant human growth factor (rhEGF) eye drops with an average healing time of 3.2 ± 1.3 days, while 77 did not use these drops, averaging 7.4 ± 2.2 days. Continuous use of bandage lenses was a risk factor for persistent epithelial defects (<i>P</i> < 0.001).ConclusionTreatment of CEDs caused by mechanical trauma should focus on managing ocular surface inflammation. The use of rhEGF eye drops can be an effective supplement treatment for CEDs. However, caution is needed regarding the use of bandage lenses.