Ocular trauma is a number of eye diseases leading to partial or full permanent visual impairment. It is also caused by a direct blow to the eye which injures and affects not only the eye but also the surrounding areas, including adjacent tissues and bone structure. The COVID-19 pandemic has a significant impact on the risks and condition of patients with ocular trauma and patients are suffering from Ocular trauma more than ever. Patients with ocular trauma were more likely to sustain home-borne injuries and have potential barriers to treatment. Such developments reinforce the need for tailored approaches during a pandemic to improve emergent eye treatment.
Although there was a significant drop in eye emergency room patient volume during the pandemic, the number of patients with severe ophthalmic injuries was similar to that of the previous year. Compared to previous year’s patients, patients with serious ocular injuries during the COVID-19 pandemic were substantially more likely to be delayed presentation from initial time of injury, travel farther to seek urgent ophthalmic care, and have sustained an injury in the household. Moreover, the rise in cases of ophthalmic damage caused by at-home accidents is potentially associated with an increase in home improvement projects and other at-home activities without sufficient eye protection. This brings to light a void in patient education aimed at preventing serious ophthalmic damage, focusing on the proper use of safe eye wear and other safety measures for high risk home activities.
It was found that patients delayed seeking urgent ophthalmic care and traveled much further to receive care during the stay-at-home orders induced by the pandemic. This highlights the barriers to the timely provision of emergency eye care, which includes factors clearly attributable to patients and providers. Fear of virus transmission may have dissuaded patients from seeking timely evaluation and treatment of ocular injuries. Universally mandated personal protective equipment is critical to facilitating secure medical care delivery during a global pandemic. Additionally, patient education emphasizing how to safely access prompt eye injury treatment can help reduce the delay in seeking treatment for ocular trauma.
The patients are suffering from Ocular trauma and are in the need of urgent eye care near to them.The global COVID-19 pandemic has brought significant challenges to emergency eye care delivery. Strategies aimed at preventing severe eye trauma and delivering emergency eye care in a timely manner will be instrumental in improving the outcomes of potentially blinding injuries during this time of limited health care resources and may have lasting practical implications for optimizing ophthalmic care in future.
