Examining the Incidence of Animal-Inflicted Pediatric Ocular Trauma

ORCID

0009-0001-4025-4705 (Goodrich), 0000-0001-6705-4132 (Crouch)

Document Type

Abstract

Publication Date

2025

Publication Title

Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science

Volume

66

Issue

8

Pages

6159

Conference Name

2025 ARVO Annual Meeting, May 4-8, 2025, Salt Lake City, Utah

Abstract

Purpose: This study is a retrospective chart review that evaluated and categorized all animal-related ocular and orbital trauma cases that presented to a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center at a children’s hospital’s emergency department over a five-year period. A secondary objective was to identify and describe any differences between male and female pediatric patients in relation to animal-inflicted ocular trauma.

Methods: Data from the electronic medical record of the children’s hospital was used to identify all cases of orbital and ocular trauma between March 10th, 2016 and March 10th, 2021 in patients from age 0 to 18 years old. Ocular trauma was present in 2,476 patients during this period. Chart reviews and analysis of a subset of cases involving orbital or ocular damage due to an animal was completed. Patient age, sex, race, diagnosis, treatment plan, and animal species were recorded. An analysis of this subgroup comparing patient sex to the other variables was performed. For categorical variables, a chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test was used. For numerical values, a student’s t-test was used.

Results: The subset analysis using the ocular trauma registry found 165 cases meeting the inclusion criteria. The mean age of patients was around 5.5 years old in both males and females. Of the injuries analyzed, 88 occurred to males (53.3%), while 77 involved females (46.7%). Of the cases including the patient’s location when injured, most occurred at their primary residence (66.7%).

The majority of injuries involved dogs (89.1%), followed by cats (6.7%), chickens (1.8%), insects (1.2%), snakes (0.6%), and one unspecified animal injury (0.6%). There were 142 lacerations of the orbital adnexa (86.1%), 17 abrasions of the cornea, sclera, and/or conjunctiva (10.3%), three open globe injuries (1.8%), one foreign body (0.6%) that was an embedded tick, one insect bite of the eyelid (0.6%), and one snake bite of the eyelid (0.6%).

40 cases (24.2%) did not require intervention other than medical treatment and prophylaxis. 60 cases (36.4%) were managed in the emergency department alone. The remaining 65 cases (39.4%) had to be taken to the operating room and were managed surgically.

There was no statistically significant difference amongst males and females for any collected factor.

Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that animal-inflicted injuries are a significant cause of ocular trauma amongst males and females under the age of 18.

Original Publication Citation

Goodrich, Z., Kouhestani, M., He, J., Thakur, S., Mason, L., Gote, J., & Crouch, E. (2025). Examining the incidence of animal-inflicted pediatric ocular trauma. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 66(8), 6159. https://iovs.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2803236

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