Modification of an eye injury risk scale for critically ill children

Abstract

Introduction

There is no validated tool that assesses the risk of eye injury in intensive care units. The aim of this study was to analyse the ability to detect keratopathies after modification of an eye injury risk assessment scale in critically ill children.

Methods

Observational, retrospective study. We modified a designed scale of risk of ocular damage tested in 194 children without previous ocular pathology admitted to paediatric intensive care for more than 48 h. The original scale classified patients as high/medium/low risk according to a sum of 10 risk factors. The scale was simplified by eliminating the face mask and slow blinking. Intubation was replaced by mechanical ventilation. All patients were re-classified with the new scale and the early detection ability of the modified scale for eye damage was compared.

Results

There was no statistically significant difference between the two scales for the ability to detect patients at risk of eye injury (p = 0.4361). The new scale classified patients' risk of eye injury with the same reliability, with the exception of one patient whose eye injury with the new scale would have been detected one day later.

Conclusions

The new scale had a similar ability to detect eye injury risk as the original scale in critically ill children.