Falls, fights top causes of eye injuries: research

Las Vegas – Falls and fights are the leading causes of eye injuries that result in hospitalization, according to research from Johns Hopkins University. The research was presented Nov. 14 at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Researchers examined cause and type of injury, length of hospital stay, and cost of hospitalization among approximately 47,000 patients ages 80 and younger, who were diagnosed with ocular trauma from 2002 to 2011.

Falls resulted in more than 8,425 hospitalizations. The cost for treatment increased 62 percent between 2002 and 2011, with the average injury carrying a price tag of more than $20,000. Other findings include:

• Most falls occurred to patients 60 and older. Slips resulted in almost 3,000 injuries. Falling down stairs caused 900 injuries.
• Fighting resulted in nearly 8,000 hospitalizations. Unarmed fights or brawls were the leading cause of injury for patients 10 to 59 years old.
• The top cause of injury among children 10 and younger was being struck by an individual or object. The No. 2 cause was car crashes, followed by being cut or pierced by a sharp object such as scissors.