@article{ref1,
title="War-related ocular injuries in Damascus during the Syrian Crisis",
journal="Injury",
year="2020",
author="Hamzeh, Farah and Ismail, Hlma and Alzabibi, Mhd Amin and Shibani, Mosa and Aljammal, Mhd Basher and Thomas, Gabriel and Khattab, Mohamad Nasser and Mohsen, Mohammad Ayham and Issa, Hazem and Mohsen, Fatima and Sawaf, Bisher and Alhalabi, Nawras and Issa, Sameh and Ayoub, Rita and Hamzeh, Ammar and Saba, Salim and Al-Moujahed, Ahmad and Almoree, Osama",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="BACKGROUND:. Ocular injuries constitute a major cause of visual morbidity, and they have a significant socioeconomic impact worldwide. We aimed to document the types  and causes of Syrian War related ocular injuries in Damascus, Syria. <br><br>METHODS:. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed to evaluate all patients in  Al-Mouwasat University Hospital and Damascus Hospital, whose ocular injuries were  caused by war-related activities during the period extending between January of 2016  and December 2017. <br><br>RESULTS:. 150 eye injuries in 127 patients were reviewed, in  which 46 (31%) were bilateral and 87 (58%) were open globe injuries. The leading  cause of the observed ocular injuries was improvised explosive devices (IED) [37  eyes (41%)]. The majority of patients presented with an initial best corrected  visual acuity (BCVA) of &quot;light perception&quot; (LP) to &quot;hand movement&quot; (HM) [51 eyes  (34%)]. Information on the final BCVA was available for 69 injured eyes only, and it  was &quot;no light perception&quot; (NLP) in 20 eyes (29%). <br><br>CONCLUSION:. Explosive weaponry  is the main culprit in most war-related ocular injuries in Syria. The high incidence  of open globe injuries caused many of the cases to be severe in nature. Education on  the precautionary measures that protect the eyes such as the use of combat eye  protection during wartimes ought to be enforced, so that future ocular injuries can  be prevented.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0020-1383",
doi="10.1016/j.injury.2020.11.069",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.injury.2020.11.069"
}