AIM:To describe the epidemiology of work-related ocular injuries and its visual outcome in tertiary hospital in southern Malaysia.

METHODS:Retrospective review of medical records of patients diagnosed as work-related ocular injuries who attended to the eye casualty of Hospital Sultan Ismail in Johor Bahru, Malaysia from Jan. 2011 to Dec. 2013. Data for clinical presentation, types of injuries, use of eye protective device(EPD)and visual outcome were collected using a standardized proforma.

RESULTS: A total of 935 ocular injuries attended to Hospital Sultan Ismail during 3y period. Among them 440 cases were work-related ocular injuries and included in the study. There was significant male preponderance(98.19%)and commonest age group affected was 21 to 30y(45%). The most common type of injury was superficial injuries(70.91%), followed by chemical(11.13%), open globe(8.41%), closed globe(6.83%)and thermal(2.72%). Although Malays are commonly involved in work-related ocular injury accounted for 78.47%, two-thirds of open globe injuries were seen in foreign workers. Only 59 patients(13.41%)reported that they wore EPD at the time of incident. Generally, 89.86%(n=399)had good vision, 5.45%(n=24)had moderate vision and 3.86%(n=17)poor vision. Visual outcome related to specific types of injuries showed that poor outcome was higher in open globe injuries groups compared with closed globe injuries \〖odd ratio(OR)=3.33, 95% confidence interval(CI)=0.68 to 16.33\〗. Overall hospital attendance rate of work-related ocular trauma ranged from 20.7 to 51.9 per 1000 new cases and decline of approximately 1.5% per year(P<0.05)from 2011 to 2013. In contrast, the in-patient admission due to work-related ocular injuries increased over 3y period. Estimated rate of monocular blindness or low vision \〖best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA)≤3/60\〗 due to work-related ocular injury was 1.26 per 1 000 hospital attendance(95% CI=0.74 to 2.02).

CONCLUSION: Work-related ocular trauma is important cause of ocular morbidity in working forces particularly young men. Malay males between 21 to 40y have higher risk. Majority of work-related ocular trauma seen in our hospital are generally of superficial injuries and potentially preventable. This study indicates they need to improve safety measures to prevent undesirable sight loss and economic burden to society as well as to establish for eye injury registry.