Ophthalmic manifestations and complications following electrical injury: A comprehensive systematic review

Purpose

To review all reported types of ocular injury caused by electrical injury.

Design

A systematic review.

Methods

PROSPERO registered our protocol (CRD42023395437). PRISMA guidelines were adhered to in the study design. From the beginning until April 17, 2023, all published original research was retrieved. To ensure that no pertinent documents had been missed, a revised search was conducted prior to the official analysis. Frequencies and percentages were used to examine the participants' baseline characteristics, the kind of electrical damage, and the management. The study was carried out using IBM SPSS Corp. Statistical Product and Service Solutions version 26, Chicago, USA.

Results

A total of 34 case reports and series with 38 patients were included, with 163 injuries. Most patients were electricians, and men (n = 36, 94 %). The mean (±SD) age of patients was 32 years old (±13). Complications involved all ocular structures, from the eyelids to the retina, ranging from mild manifestations such as conjunctival injection and chemosis to severe conditions like retinal detachment. The most common reported complication was cataract (81.5 %), which was reported in 24 cases. The final prognosis was mainly affected by the voltage and location of the electric entry or exit. The average voltage varied according to the ocular structure due to different tissue resistance.

Conclusion

Electric injury can result in various types of ocular damage affecting mainly the lens and retina. Our findings could help inform public health policies, particularly those related to workplace and occupational education. Future studies discussing the prognostic values of ocular electric injury are of essential need.