Profile of Eye Injury-Related Risk Factors in an Urban Area, Ahvaz, Iran

Background: Eye trauma is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. A variety of risk factors can cause eye trauma. Objectives: This study was designed to determine the risk factors leading to mechanical eye injuries for planning a blindness prevention program in Ahvaz, Iran. Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted on 9,855 patients with ocular trauma who were reviewed at inpatient or outpatient settings in the ophthalmology clinic at Imam Khomeini hospital, Ahvaz, Iran, from March 2009 to March 2010. Data collection was performed by an ophthalmologist. Results: Males (8,593 patients) were more likely to have eye trauma than females (1,262). The mean age for the outpatient cases was 20.3  16.39 years and for the inpatient cases it was 22.7  18.95 years. The workplace was the most common site for trauma and the cornea was the most reported anatomically injured site. For those patients who had not used safety and protection equipment, 93.1% were referred to the outpatient setting and 95.7% to the inpatient setting. Conclusions: The risk factors found in this study are preventable in many situations. Preventive strategies such as increasing societal awareness, mandatory training courses for using protective eyewear, and early intervention following an injury could decrease the burden of eye trauma in Ahvaz, Iran.