Ocular trauma in the United States army: Hospitalization records from 1985through 1994

PURPOSE: To determine the incidence of hospitalized ocular injury in the Un ited States Army and evaluate specific types and external causes of these i njuries. METHODS: A US Army database that captured all hospital discharge records fo r Army personnel admitted to military and civilian hospitals was used to de termine incident episodes of ocular injury requiring hospitalization from 1 985 through 1994, Denominator data were available from the US Army, RESULTS: The average annual incidence of hospitalization for a principal or secondary diagnosis of ocular trauma (total hospitalized ocular injury) wa s 77.1 per 100,000 persons (95% confidence interval, 75.1-79.2), There was a 38% decline in the rate of total hospitalized ocular injury during this 1 0-year period, Men had twice the rates of women over all age groups. The hi ghest rate occurred in the 17- to 19-year age group, with rates of 220.7 an d 123,4 per 100,000 in men and women, respectively. Whites had a higher rat e than blacks and nonwhites-nonblacks, Almost a third of the injuries were contusions of the eye and adnexa, Among men, the leading causes were machin ery or tools (21%), fights (18%), transport accidents (18%), and sports and training (11%). Only 7% were related to weaponry or war, and of these, 90% were from nonbattle activities. CONCLUSION: The type and cause of injury suggest that preventive measures m ay be effective in decreasing the incidence of ocular trauma requiring hosp italization in US Army personnel, (C) 2000 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rig hts reserved.