Hypodermic needles: a new source of penetrating ocular trauma in Indian children.

PURPOSE: To study the clinico-microbiologic profile and visual prognosis of ocular injuries caused by disposable hypodermic needles used by children to squirt water. METHODS: We analyzed 19 consecutive cases of hypodermic needle injury seen at our institute. RESULTS: The average age of the patients was 10.3 years (range, 4-20 years). A small self-sealed corneal or scleral laceration was seen in 11 eyes; in 8 eyes, the site of injury was occult. Initial visual acuity was no light perception (3 eyes) or hand motion or light perception (16 eyes). Surgery in 18/19 eyes included vitrectomy with intraocular antibiotic injections for endophthalmitis (14 eyes), evisceration for panophthalmitis (2 eyes), and cataract extraction for traumatic cataract (2 eyes). Final visual acuity was no light perception or light perception only in 10 eyes, 20/400-20/60 in three eyes, and 20/40 or better in six eyes. CONCLUSIONS: Severe ocular morbidity may result from improper disposal of hypodermic needles.