TY - JOUR PY - 2007// TI - Potential Impact of Seatbelt Use on the Spectrum of Ocular Injuries and Visual Acuity Outcomes after Motor Vehicle Accidents with Airbag Deployment JO - Ophthalmology A1 - Rao, Sunil K. A1 - Greenberg, Paul B. A1 - Filippopoulos, Theodoros A1 - Scott, I. U. A1 - Katsoulakis, Nickolas P. A1 - Enzer, Yoash R. SP - 573 EP - 576.e1 VL - 115 IS - 3 N2 - PURPOSE: To investigate the association between seatbelt use and (1) the spectrum of ocular injuries and (2) visual acuity outcomes after motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) with airbag deployment. DESIGN: Single-center retrospective observational case series. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-seven patients involved in MVAs with airbag deployment. METHODS: Medical record review of all patients evaluated after an MVA with airbag deployment between January, 1997, and August, 2005, at a single level 1 trauma center. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Type of ocular injury and visual acuity at 3 months after an MVA. RESULTS: Seventy-one percent of patients who did not wear seatbelts experienced type III ocular injuries compared with 31% who wore seatbelts (P<0.0002). Posterior segment injuries occurred only in patients who did not wear seatbelts. At the 3-month follow-up, 76% of patients who did not wear seatbelts achieved a visual acuity of 20/40 or better compared with 96% of patients who wore seatbelts (P>0.10); a visual acuity worse than 20/200 was measured in 14% and 0% of patients in the 2 groups, respectively (P<0.03). CONCLUSIONS: In the current study, the use of seatbelts was associated with less severe ocular injuries and better visual outcomes.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0161-6420 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2007.05.053 ID - ref1 ER -