Purpose: To study the clinical characteristics of children with severe ocular chemical or thermal injuries in South China and evaluate prognostic factors affecting final visual acuity (VA).
Methods: A five-year retrospective study was conducted on pediatric patients who were first admitted to Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center with severe chemical or thermal ocular injuries. Data collected and analyzed comprised socioeconomic and socio-demographic data, details regarding their injury, subsequent treatment, and visual outcomes.
Results: Of the 105 children (121 eyes), severe ocular chemical and thermal injuries in South China were prevalent in preschool children (n = 51, 58.1%), predominantly male (n = 82, 78.1%), and primarily children in rural areas (n = 98, 93.3%). Seventy-one eyes (78.9%) had a final VA <0.05, and multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that initial VA after injury (OR = 0.47), the maternal education level (OR = 0.23), and monthly household income (OR = 0.31) were significantly associated with final VA.
Conclusion: Final VA was associated with the initial VA, the maternal level of education, and family income; necessitating an increased provision of public education to children from low-income families, especially in rural areas.
Keywords: Left-behind children; South China; pediatric; severe chemical and thermal ocular injury; visual prognosis.