Ocular sequelae of blast injuries: experience at a teaching hospital

To study the ocular sequlae of blast injuries, their management and visual outcome. Retrospective review of over 4 years of the records of the patients admitted during [1 January 2003 to 31 December 2006] with blast injuries in Ophthalmology Department of Saidu Teaching Hospital, Saidu Sharif, Swat. Files of patients with blast injuries of all ages and both gender were retrieved from the record room. A separate data collecting proforma was filled for every patient. Personal data, occupation, nature of blast, duration between the accident and presentation, ocular findings, management and visual outcome were recorded in all cases. A total of 7446 patients were admitted in the department during the study period of whom 34 had blast injuries [31 males and 3 females]. Nature of blast showed that 24 [70.6%] cases got injury while breaking stone in the marble and precious stone excavations or clearing the rocks for house building or road lying; while 6 [17.7%] cases had injury due to explosives planted by others for the same purpose. Three [8.8%] cases had accidental and 1[2.9%] battery blast injury. Ages of the patients ranged from 7 to 55 years [mean 27.4 years]. Of the 47 eyes affected bilateral ocular damage was seen in 13 patients [26 eyes] and unilateral in 21 patients [10 right eyes and 11 left]. Bilateral blindness was seen in 1 case [2 eyes] while 20 patients [20 eyes] got blindness in one eye. The frequency of blindness caused by bomb blast injuries is high and there is a high like hood of psychological trauma to the patient and their families which needs to be addressed