TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2001//
TI  - Ocular complications of thermal injury: a 3-year retrospective
JO  - Journal of trauma
A1  - Bouchard, C. S.
A1  - Morno, K.
A1  - Perkins, J.
A1  - McDonnell, J. F.
A1  - Dicken, R.
SP  - 79
EP  - 82
VL  - 50
IS  - 1
N2  - BACKGROUND: Diagnosis and treatment of thermal ocular injuries are often delayed because facial burns are usually associated with life-threatening injuries requiring immediate intervention. The purpose of the present study is to review the diagnosis and management of ocular complications associated with thermal burns in a tertiary care burn unit. METHODS: In this retrospective study, the charts of patients admitted to the Loyola University Medical Center Burn Unit between January 1993 and January 1996 were reviewed. RESULTS: Of the 1,461 patients who were admitted to the burn unit during that period, 155 (10.6%) required ophthalmic consultation. Sixty-one patients (4.2%) had ocular injury, the most common type being periorbital burn and edema followed by corneal involvement. Thirty-one of the 61 patients (51%) received consultation on the day of admission. Six of the 61 patients (10%) required surgical intervention. There was no correlation between number of days to consultation and need for surgical intervention. Patients requiring surgery were more likely to have suffered third-degree burns. CONCLUSION: Because it is difficult to predict which patients suffering from thermal burns involving the eyes will require surgical intervention, ophthalmic consultation should be sought early.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0022-5282
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -