A study of ocular trauma in geriatric population at a tertiary care eye hospital in South India

To assess the prevalence of ocular trauma and extent of visual loss in geriatric patients at a tertiary care eye hospital in South India. A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients aged above 60 years, of both genders, who presented to the ophthalmology OPD of a tertiary care eye hospital, with history of ocular trauma. The study period was of 3 months. The patients underwent a detailed interview and standardized ocular evaluation. An eye was considered blind due to trauma if best corrected visual acuity for distance was worse than 3/60 due to trauma. Patients with preexisting low vision in the affected eye were excluded in the study. Of the 50 patients included in the study, 30 patients (60%) gave a history of self-inflicted injury. 28 patients (56%) had blunt trauma to the eye, and the rest had penetrating injury. 42 patients (84%) belonged to lower socioeconomic status; 38 patients (76%) were males and the rest females. 24 patients (48%) had an acute onset of presentation (<24 hours). Though majority of the trauma resulting in blindness occurs during childhood, geriatric population also needs extra care and attention due to associated co morbidities. Ocular trauma in geriatric population is being increasingly recognized as a significant public health problem worldwide.