Vision-related quality of life in patients after ocular penetrating injuries

Purpose: To measure and investigate visual functioning and health-related quality of life (QOL) in patients after ocular penetrating injuries (OPI). Methods: Fifty-four adult patients with OPI and 26 healthy control subjects were enrolled in the study. The National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25) and the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF 36) were administered. Sociodemographic and clinical data also were collected. The primary outcome measures were comparisons and multivariate analysis among groups for the NEI VFQ-25 and SF 36 subscale scores. Results: All NEI VFQ-25 scores, except general health, were significantly lower in the OPI group than those in the control group. All SF 36 scores were significantly lower in the OPI group than in the control group. The NEI VFQ-25 subscale item scores showed no significant differences with respect to age, educational level, or visual acuity in the injured eye. The SF 36 subscale item scores revealed no significant differences according to gender or educational level. Conclusions: Patients with OPI have increased psychological symptoms and lower levels of QOL than healthy control subjects have. Deteriorations in QOL should be kept in mind when managing patients with OPI.