Ocular burns in an ophthalmology referral center in Santiago de Cali, Colombia.

Abstract

Introduction: Ocular burns are a public health problem due to the little conscience about ocular protection, the morbility and the severity of the sequelae that present. The objective is to characterize intentional and no intentional ocular burns of patients that entered to the Ophthalmology Service of the Hospital Universitario del Valle (SO-HUV). Methodology: A series of cases of 330 clinical charts of patients with ocular burn diagnosis that entered to the Ophthalmology Service of the HUV, between January 2005 and December 2006 were reviewed. The statistical analysis was made in Epi2000. Results: 249 patients were presented with 342 affected eyes; most of the population was between 19 and 45 years, with a mean of 28 (SD±16.6). The men: women ratio was 2:1. The burns due to no intentional injuries were 97.2% and due to intentional injuries 2.8%. The 50.2% of the burns occurred in home and 39.4% in the work environment. The lesions caused by chemicals were 62.7%, by thermal 28.9%, and by ultraviolet radiation the 7.6%. The proper manage to each type of burn, was carried out, and referred improvement 97.7% of the patients that assisted to control appointments. The most common sequels were the decrease of visual acuity in 25 patients (10%) and corneal scar in 7 patients (2.8%); the main cause was chemicals. Conclusions: Ocular burns are mostly produced by preventable injuries that can be reduced through promotion and prevention programs.