Resumo

ORESTES-CARDOSO, Silvana et al. Epidemiological profile of blindness and loss of eyeball by trauma in patients rehabilitated through prostheses. Arq. Odontol. [online]. 2012, vol.48, n.3, pp. 181-187. ISSN 1516-0939.

agents that caused the injury, according to gender, social space, and etiology. Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 116 medical records from patients rehabilitated through ocular prostheses at the Oral and Maxillofacial Prosthetics Clinic of the Federal University of Pernambuco. The descriptive statistical analysis involved the calculation of proportions, and the Pearson Chi-square and Fisher Exact tests were used when appropriate. The level of statistical significance was set at 0.05. Results: The sociodemographic and economic profile showed a predominance of adults (73.7%), male (69.7%), coming from Recife and its Metropolitan Area (64.9%), low education level (79.9%), and an individual income of only twice the minimum wage (75.4%). Regarding the etiological factors, the two main kinds of instruments that caused eye injuries in both genders were the piercing and blunt types, while in males the highest percentage corresponded to the piercing instruments (42.9%). Considering the location where the trauma occurred, it was more prevalent on the street (53.6%) and at home (36.4%), in males (70.0%). Accidental injuries were the most common (76.0%). Conclusion: The damage caused by ocular injuries is related to preventable factors. Significant associations were found between income and etiology, as well as between the types of aetiologic agents with the social space and the etiology of trauma.

Palavras-chave : Eye injuries; Blindness; Epidemiology; Artificial eye.