Visual outcome in ocular trauma and its contributing factors in Dar es Salaam

This study was conducted among 120 inpatients with eye injuries admitted in Muhimbili Medical Centre from lst January 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 injured 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. 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 referral for definitive treatment of the injured eye.