Abstract
The case sheets of the patients who visited Ramlal Golchha Eye Hospital Foundation with ocular surface foreign bodies (OSFB) from May 2023 to April 2024 were retrospectively reviewed. In our study, 460 eyes of 450 patients had OSFB which accounted for 1.56% of the total number of patients visiting the hospital and 13.73% of patients visiting cornea clinic. Male patients accounted for 87.33% with Male: Female ratio being 6.9:1. Single eye was affected in 97.7% while both eyes were affected in 2.22%. The most affected age group was 20-30 years accounting for 30.67%. The mean age was 33.41±13.4 years (0.5 yrs to 71yrs). The most common OSFB was metal particle accounting for 57.11%, followed by caterpillar hair 11.11%. The most common location of the OSFB was on Cornea (72.44%), followed by conjunctiva 21.11%. In 6.4% of cases OSFB was seen in both conjunctiva and cornea. Presenting visual acuity was 6/18 or better in 90.21% of the patients. Among the industrial worker 58.89% (149) used protective eye wear (PEW). None of the cases with other occupation used any kind of PEW. As most of these OSFB injuries could have been prevented using PEW, workplaces with high risk should be identified and workers should be educated about such eye injuries and steps should be taken to initiate public awareness program.
Keywords: Awareness, Ocular Surface Foreign Bodies, Ocular Trauma, Protective Eye Wear.