ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of surfboard-related eye injuries (SREIs) in New South Wales in 1 year. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Prospective questionnaire-based study of SREIs through reporting on injuries, treatment and outcomes by ophthalmologists and ophthalmology trainees in NSW and by patients of all ages with any SREIs on risk factors for SREIs that occurred between 30 December 2010 and 30 December 2011. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence, nature and severity of SREIs, defined as any injury to the eye, orbit or eyelid caused by a surfboard. RESULTS: 10 cases of SREIs were reported. Eight patients were male. The mean age of injured patients was 35.4 years. Two of the patients were children. Patients often had a combination of ophthalmic injuries. There were two globe ruptures, four fractured orbits, one case of fibreglass foreign bodies in the orbit and six eyelid lacerations. SREIs were caused by all sharp projections of the surfboard including the nose, fins and tail. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that surfing carries a small risk of eye trauma and helps to describe and quantify SREIs. A fifth of the SREIs we report were severe. Surfboard modification and protective eyewear may help reduce the risk of SREIs.
Subject(s)
Eye Injuries/epidemiology , Sports , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Child , Female , Foreign Bodies/epidemiology , Humans , Injury Severity Score , Lacerations/epidemiology , Male , Middle Aged , New South Wales/epidemiology , Oceans and Seas , Orbital Fractures/epidemiology , Prospective Studies , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy is traditionally performed under general anaesthesia. However, there are reports in the literature of various local anaesthetic techniques with or without sedation for this procedure. An effective and acceptable local anaesthetic technique enables the avoidance of the risks associated with general anaesthesia, particularly for elderly patients, with the added benefit of reduced bleeding, reduced nausea and vomiting, and reduced length of hospital stay and thus health care cost savings. This study aims to evaluate the safety and patient acceptance of a minimally invasive assisted local anaesthetic technique for endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy. METHODS: A prospective questionnaire-based study is presented of 24 consecutive adult patients who underwent 26 endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomies in a day surgery including 22 primary and four revision procedures performed by one surgeon under local anaesthesia and sedation over a 4-month period. RESULTS: Apart from persistent postoperative vomiting in one patient there were no anaesthetic complications. There were no instances of epistaxis. The mean pain score on a visual analogue scale of 0-10 was 1.56 and 56% reported no pain. Ninety-two per cent would recommend the procedure to others. CONCLUSION: This assisted local anaesthetic technique for endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy is safe and acceptable to patients.
