Trends in Sports-Related Ocular Trauma in United States Emergency Departments from 2010 to 2019: Multi-Center Cross-Sectional Study.

IMPORTANCE

Traumatic eye injury is one of the leading causes of visual impairment in the United States, but there is limited information available in the literature about ocular trauma related to sports.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the primary ocular diagnosis, type of sport, seasonal prevalence, and injury severity following ocular sports-related trauma.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

United States (US) hospital emergency departments (ED).

PARTICIPANTS

Patients with sports-related ocular injuries in the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System All Injury Program (NEISS-AIP) database from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2019.

MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURE

To identify and compare the type of sport, primary diagnosis of ocular injury, and injury severity.

RESULTS

For 4,671 sports-related ocular injuries identified, the mean age of injury was 19.4±15.2 years (median: 15.0 years, 79% male). The largest proportion of injuries occurred in the 12-17 years of age cohort (38.6%), occurring during summer months (< .001). The most common sports associated with eye injury were basketball (37.8%), baseball (13.8%),, and football (12.3%). There were 3,214 injuries (68.8%) deemed 'minor' anterior segment injuries, 359 injuries (7.7%) deemed 'major' anterior segment injuries, 31 injuries (0.7%) deemed 'minor' posterior segment injuries, 77 injuries (1.7%) deemed 'major' posterior segment injuries, and 990 injuries (21.2%) of unknown severity. Basketball-related ocular trauma had a greater frequency of corneal/scleral abrasions than baseball ( < .001), soccer ( < .001), tennis ( = .03), softball ( = .001), and paintball ( = .02). Baseball-related ocular trauma had a greater frequency of contusions than basketball ( < .001), football ( < .001), soccer ( < .001), volleyball (< .001). Paintball and soccer were more associated with 'major' anterior and posterior ocular injuries than basketball ( < .001, for both).

CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE

Sports-related trauma remains a highly prevalent cause of eye-related visits to the emergency room, particularly in young male adolescents in the spring and summertime. While most diagnoses were deemed 'minor' injuries with basketball associated with corneal/scleral abrasions and baseball with contusions, paintball, and soccer were more significantly associated with 'major' anterior and posterior ocular injuries.