Purpose: The traumatic diseases constitute the great majority of ophthalmic emergencies. Previous knowledge of epidemiologic risk factors makes possible studies on preventive medicine, among others. This study has the aim to evaluate the reasons which lead to look for an ophthalmologic emergency unit. Methods: The data of patients attended at the "Hospital Governador João Alves Filho", Aracaju, SE -- Brazil, between January 1, 2000 and October 20, 2000, were registered according to their charts, using an exclusive software. 859 patients were selected according to previously established criteria and the following variables were analyzed: sex, age, day of the week, month, diagnosis and chosen medical treatment. Results: Males represented 72% of all cases; trauma diagnosis was established in 52% of the cases, 59.9% of them being ocular foreign bodies; cases on working days surpassed by 62.5% those on weekends. Conclusion: Males showed a greater vulnerability to trauma, since the more affected age range was that of the economically active. The most frequent etiology was ocular foreign body and the number of cases on working days was higher than that on weekends.
Emergency medical services; Hospital emergency service; Eye foreign bodies; Eye injuries; Occupational accidents
