Abstract:
With
eye injuries admitted in Muhimbili Medical Centre from
1st January, 1993 to 30th June 1993. The objectives were
to determine visual outcome following ocular trauma and
its contributing factors like delay in initiating
definitive treatment and the reasons for such delay, use
of traditional medicines to the injured eye, management
efficacy of post-trauma complications, site and severity
of injury.
The results showed that visual outcome in our
environment is poor as only 42% of the inj ured patients
achieved vision better than 6/18. About 42% of patients
presented late for definitive treatment half of whom did
so due to late referral to consultant hospital and 24%
did so due to their own ignorance.
Post-trauma blinding complications were found in 61%
of patients, of which corneal and vitreous opacities were
most prevalent - 30% and 27% respectively. None of these
complications got treated due to lack of appropriate
facilities in our environment.
It was also found that, the use of traditional
medicines in the injured eyes was significantly
associated with poor visual prognosis as only 15% of
patients who used pre-consultation traditional medicines
remained with normal vision despite other treatments
given later at the consultant hospital.
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It was thus recommended that, efforts must be done
to secure treatment facilities for post-trauma
complications; and health education programmes be carried
out extensively in the community with the aim of stopping
the habit of using traditional medicines to the injured
eye; and educating people on the importance of early
refer
