Potential Impact of Seatbelt Use on the Spectrum of Ocular Injuries and Visual Acuity Outcomes after Motor Vehicle Accidents with Airbag Deployment

Abstract

To investigate the association between seatbelt use and (1) the spectrum of ocular injuries and (2) visual acuity outcomes after motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) with airbag deployment. Single-center retrospective observational case series. Forty-seven patients involved in MVAs with airbag deployment. Medical record review of all patients evaluated after an MVA with airbag deployment between January, 1997, and August, 2005, at a single level 1 trauma center. Type of ocular injury and visual acuity at 3 months after an MVA. Seventy-one percent of patients who did not wear seatbelts experienced type III ocular injuries compared with 31% who wore seatbelts (P<0.0002). Posterior segment injuries occurred only in patients who did not wear seatbelts. At the 3-month follow-up, 76% of patients who did not wear seatbelts achieved a visual acuity of 20/40 or better compared with 96% of patients who wore seatbelts (P>0.10); a visual acuity worse than 20/200 was measured in 14% and 0% of patients in the 2 groups, respectively (P<0.03). In the current study, the use of seatbelts was associated with less severe ocular injuries and better visual outcomes.