Epidemiological characteristics of eye injury among soldiers in 15 military hospitals

Abstract

To investigate and analyze the epidemiological characteristics of eye injury among military inpatients. Data of eye injury among military inpatients from 15 military general hospitals during 2001 - 2005 were recorded and statistically analyzed. There were 716 military inpatients with eye injuries, taking up 7.41% of the whole ocular trauma inpatients in corresponding time period. Military inpatients with eye injuries were admitted more in spring and summer; with sex ratio as 46.73:1; mean age as (24.99 +/- 8.40) years and 82.27% in 17-29 years while 7.82% were binocular injuries. A certain proportion of the complication appeared after the myoporthosis operations. Mechanical and non-mechanical eye injuries took up 92.49% and 7.51% respectively. Sports (17.62%), explosion (11.92%) and fighting (11.40%) related factors were the main causes of injuries. 51.55% of the accidents took place during working or training processes and 30.31% was on military training sites. At discharge, 22 eyeballs were removed mainly due to open globe injuries, 9 eyes with no light perception but vision acuity equalled to or more than 0.5 in 62.16% of the patients. Of those eye injury inpatients, military training and construction for defense were the main causes related to occupational eye injuries among soldiers. Mutilation power of eye injury should not be ignored and epidemiological survey on military eye injuries need to be carried out more extensively.