Domestic Violence-Related Ocular Injuries Among Adult Patients: Data from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, 2008-2017

• Published in: Ophthalmic epidemiology Vol. 31; no. 2; p. 169
• Main Authors: Andoh, Joana E, Mehta, Sumarth K, Chen, Evan M, Mir, Tahreem A, Nwanyanwu, Kristen, Teng, Christopher C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.04.2024
• Subjects: intimate partner violence; Domestic violence; ophthalmology; ocular injuries
• ISSN: 1744-5086
• DOI: 10.1080/09286586.2023.2222792

To investigate domestic violence (DV)-related ocular injuries among adult emergency department (ED) patients in the US. This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study of patients with a diagnosis of DV and diagnosis of ocular injury in the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) from 2008-2017. We identified patient- and hospital-level variables associated with DV-related ocular injuries. We calculated annual incidence rates using US Census data. Adjusting for inflation using the Consumer Price Index, we calculated mean and total charges. From 2008-2017, there were 26,215 ED visits for ocular injuries related to DV with an average incidence of 1.09 per 100,000 adult population (female patients, 84.5%; mean age [SE], 34.3 [0.2]). DV-related ocular injuries were most prevalent among patients in the lowest income quartile (39.1%) and on Medicaid (37.4%). Most ED visits presented to metropolitan teaching (55.4%), non-trauma (46.7%), and south regional (30.5%) hospitals. The most common ocular injury was contusion of eye/adnexa (61.1%). The hospital admission rate was 5.2% with a mean hospital stay of 2.9 [0.2]. The inflation-adjusted mean cost for medical services was $38,540 [2,310.8] per encounter with an average increase of $2,116 per encounter, annually. The likelihood of hospital admission increased for patients aged ≥60 years old, on Medicare, and with open globes or facial/orbital fractures (all  < .05). Contusion of the eye/adnexa was the most common ocular injury among patients with DV-related ED visits. To better facilitate referrals to social services, ophthalmologists should utilize DV screenings, especially towards women and patients of less privileged socioeconomic status.