Open-globe injuries with motor vehicle accidents: a 12-year review

Purpose: To evaluate demographics, characteristics, and outcomes of open-globe injuries (OGIs) in motor vehicle accidents (MVAs). Methods: Retrospective chart review of patients with OGIs related to MVAs that presented to University Hospital, Newark, from 2000 to 2012. Results: Twenty-five patients were identified; the average age of the patients was 33.3 years old (range, 5–75). The majority of patients (64 %) were males. The 25 vehicles comprised 24 automobiles and one motorcycle. Ten patients (40 %) wore seatbelts, and five (20 %) did not wear seatbelts. The seatbelt status was not documented in the remaining cases. Ethanol was documented as a contributing factor in five of the accidents. In terms of open-globe classification, 15 OGIs (60 %) were ruptures, and five (20 %) were penetrating injuries; three (12 %) had intraocular foreign bodies. Ten eyes (40 %) had a final VA of 20/400 or worse. Fourteen eyes (56 %) achieved a final VA of 20/200 or better; seven eyes (28 %) achieved a final VA of 20/40 or better. Conclusion: Fifty-six percent of eyes with an open-globe injury related to MVAs achieved a final VA of 20/200 or better in this series. No eyes developed endophthalmitis.