Article Text
Abstract
Background/aims The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with a decline in emergency department (ED) presentations for trauma. The purpose of this study is to compare the estimated number and characteristics of eye injuries in 2020, the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, to those in 2011–2019.
Methods A stratified probability sample of US ED-treated eye injuries was used to calculate the estimated annual number and incidence of these injuries in 2020, the year of the pandemic, and 2011–2019 (prepandemic years). Two-sample t-tests and Pearson χ2 were used to assess differences in demographics and injury characteristics. For multiple comparisons, Bonferroni correction was applied.
Results The estimated number of ED-treated eye injuries per year was 152 957 (95% CI 132 637 to 176 153) in 2020 and 194 142 (95% CI 191 566 to 196 401) in 2011–2019. The annual incidence of ED-treated eye injuries was lower in 2020, at 46 per 100 000 population than in 2011–2019, at 62 per 100 000 per year (p<0.001). In 2020 vs 2011–2019, there was a higher incidence of ruptured globes (0.5 per 100 000 vs 0.3 per 100 000 per year, p<0.001), hyphemas (0.6 per 100 000 vs 0.4 per 100 000 per year, p<0.001), lacerations (1.0 per 100 000 in 2020 vs 0.8 per 100 000 per year, p<0.001) and orbital fractures (0.3 per 100 000 vs 0.03).
Conclusion The estimated incidence of eye injuries presenting to the ED was significantly lower in 2020 than in 2011–2019, but there was a higher estimated incidence of severe eye injuries. Changes in living and work environments due to the COVID-19 pandemic were likely associated with the differences in ocular trauma presentations observed in this study.
- public health
- epidemiology
- trauma
Data availability statement
Data are available in a public, open access repository. National Electronic Injury Surveillance System; https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/NEISSQuery/home.aspx; no conditions of reuse.
This article is made freely available for personal use in accordance with BMJ’s website terms and conditions for the duration of the covid-19 pandemic or until otherwise determined by BMJ. You may use, download and print the article for any lawful, non-commercial purpose (including text and data mining) provided that all copyright notices and trade marks are retained.
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Data availability statement
Data are available in a public, open access repository. National Electronic Injury Surveillance System; https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/NEISSQuery/home.aspx; no conditions of reuse.
Footnotes
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Contributors OH has contributed to study design, data extraction and analysis and manuscript writing, preparation and revision. DF has contributed to study design and manuscript writing, preparation and revision. AMR has contributed to study design and manuscript writing, preparation and revision. NZ has contributed to study design, data analysis and manuscript writing, preparation and revision.
Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Competing interests DF: Consultant: Bausch and Lomb, WL Gore and Associates, Center of Biomedical Research, Thea Pharmaceuticals.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
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