MANAGEMENT OF TRAUMATIC HYPHAEMA IN PATIENTS ATTENDING A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE IN KASHMIR

Abstract

Background: Hyphaema or blood in anterior chamber is a common complication of blunt or penetrating injury to eye and can result in vision threatening complications. Aim: To evaluate the proportion of patients requiring medical and surgical intervention following traumatic hyphaema due to blunt ocular trauma. Methods: This study was conducted on 80 patients of traumatic hyphaema attending the Department of Ophthalmology, Government Medical College, Srinagar from September 2019 to February 2021. Patients ≥10 years of age traumatic hyphaema due to blunt ocular trauma were included in the study. Patients with penetrating ocular trauma, those with hyphaema due to causes such as iris melanoma, rubeosis iridis, patients with hyphaema following intra-ocular surgery and patients on anticoagulant medications were excluded from the study. Proper history was taken from all the patients and a detailed ocular examination was done including grading of hyphaema using slit lamp. Results: Our study found mean age of study population as 24±5 years. There were 57 (71%) male patients and 23 (29%) female patients. 42.5% patients had grade-1 hyphaema, 40% patients had grade-2 hyphaema, 13.75% patients had grade-3 hyphaema and 3.75% patients had grade-4 hyphaema. Medical management was required in 76 (95%) patients whereas surgical intervention was required in only 5% patients. Conclusion: Our study concluded that majority of patients with traumatic hyphaema were male with grade-1 and grade-2 hyphaema seen in majority of the patients. Most of the patients with traumatic hyphaema respond well to medical intervention. Surgical intervention is required in only small proportion of cases.