Review of ocular trauma in tamale teaching hospital, tamale, Ghana
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Date
2015Author
Bonsaana, Gilbert B
Type
ThesisLanguage
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The objective of this study was to establish the epidemiologic characteristics, referral
pattern, interventions, visual outcomes and complications of ocular trauma in Tamale Teaching
Hospital (TTH) Eye Clinic, Tamale, Ghana.
Methods and materials: This was a retrospective hospital-based case series in which all new
patients of all ages with various eye conditions from 1st January to 31st December 2010 were
reviewed from the outpatient/ inpatient record books and the sex and age recorded. The files/
folders of patients with ocular trauma were consecutively selected and retrieved. The
epidemiological characteristics, referral pattern, interventions, visual outcomes and
complications of ocular trauma were reviewed. The relevant data was extracted and a structured
questionnaire completed for each patient. The data was then exported into STATA version 12
(Stata Corp, College Station, Texas) and analyzed. Significant differences and associations were
determined by p-values of less than 0.05.
Results: A total of 2,027 records of new patients with various eye conditions were retrieved.
Three hundred and sixty one (377 eyes) new ocular trauma patients’ files/ folders were analyzed.
The Male: Female ratio was 1:1.1 (p=0.09) for all new patients with various eye conditions
whilst it was 1.8:1 (p<0.01) for new ocular trauma patients. Majority, 474 (23.38%), of new
patients with various eye conditions were older than 49 years whilst most ocular trauma patients,
99 (27.42%), were in the age group of 20 – 29 years. Most, 247 (68.42%), ocular trauma patients
were seen at TTH without a referral. Conjunctival lesions were the commonest, 144 (38.20%),
finding in traumatized eyes at presentation. The commonest, 243 (64.46%), intervention
rendered was medical treatment alone. By the WHO classification, the majority, 227 (67.36%),
of traumatized eyes had normal vision, 47 (13.95%) were monocularly visually impaired and 63
(18.42%) were monocularly blind immediately after sustaining ocular trauma. Most, 337
(89.39%), traumatized eyes had no complications following ocular trauma. Forty (10.61%) eyes
had complications of which corneal opacities/ scars were the commonest, 16 (4.24%).
Conclusion: Ocular trauma was a relatively common health problem especially among males in
the economically active age group and a significant cause of monocular visual impairment/
blindness in TTH, Tamale, Ghana. Public awareness campaign on preventive measures need to
be instituted to reduce the incidence and debilitating effects of ocular trauma as it has the
potential of increasing the incidence of poverty in the community and the country as a whole
because visual impairment/ blindness from ocular trauma has the potential to reduce ones
productivity and that of the family as a whole since most affected persons turn to be the
breadwinner of their families.
Publisher
University of Nairobi