Comparison of Time-to-Surgery and Outcomes in Transferred Vs Non-Transferred Open Globe Injuries

PURPOSE: It is widely accepted in the field of ophthalmology that closure of open globes within 24 hours of the injury results in the best visual outcomes. This study investigates the time-to-surgery and visual outcomes of open globe injury patients in North Carolina that were transferred to our institution before receiving surgical intervention as compared to those that were not transferred. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study using data from UNC Hospitals trauma registry. Demographics, time of injury, final clinical outcomes, time to surgical intervention, and transfer history were extracted and analyzed. The study population includes open globe injury patients of all ages that were seen and treated at our institution from 2005 to 2020. Patients were divided based on transfer history. The transfer group consisted of patients who were transferred from an outside hospital to our tertiary care facility for surgical treatment. The non-transfer group consisted of patients who arrived at our tertiary care facility directly after injury. RESULTS: In total, 238 open globe injuries were evaluated. Of those, 197 were transferred and 41 were not transferred. Compared to non-transfer patients, transfer patients had longer delays between injury and surgery, between presentation at the initial ED and surgery, and between injury and arrival at the tertiary care center. On average, the delay between injury and surgical intervention was 3 hours and 51 minutes longer for transfer patients compared to non-transfer patients. Eight patients in the transfer group were delayed >24 hours due to inter-hospital transfer. Additionally, transfer patients on average suffered from poorer final visual acuities, with an average final visual acuity of 1.84 logMAR in the transfer group and 1.35 logMAR in the non-transfer group. CONCLUSION: Our study found that inter-hospital transfer leads to significant delays in primary closure of open globe injuries. Injuries that were transferred to a tertiary care center before receiving surgical intervention on average resulted in worse final visual acuities.