Week in review: Domestic violence–related ocular injuries, online learning and vision, uveitis and back pain

A weekly roundup of ophthalmic news from around the web.

Women bear the brunt of ocular injuries related to domestic violence. A cross-sectional study reviewed 2017–2019 data from the US National Trauma Data Bank to evaluate possible associations between intimate partner violence (IPV) and ocular trauma. Sixteen percent of the records reported ocular injuries, and 0.5% of those injuries were associated with IPV incidents. Whereas ocular injuries in general occur more often in men than in women and usually in the workplace, 62% of the IPV-related ocular injuries were reported in women and were more likely to happen in the home. The most common IPV-related ocular injury was orbital fracture. The authors conclude that “Additional research is needed to further characterize the association between IPV and ophthalmology. By continuing research in this field of medicine, survivors of IPV can be further validated, supported, and treated.” JAMA Ophthalmology

Long hours of online learning can cause vision issues, particularly Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), which manifests as eyestrain, ocular irritation, blurred vision, headache, and shoulder pain, among other symptoms. Nearly 2500 US college undergraduates and medical students were surveyed about CVS symptoms since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Forty-four percent of respondents said they spent 4–8 hours per day on online learning, and 22% reported spending >8 hours per day, leading to a self-reported CVS prevalence rate of 77% in undergraduates and 69% in medical students. Eye burning, itching, and dryness were the most reported ocular CVS symptoms. Given the fact that online learning appears to have a strong foothold in higher education, the authors recommend that educators and administrators be aware of and be proactive about CVS in their students. Clinical Ophthalmology

Uveitis can be a pain in the...back? That’s the finding from a UK survey of 50 patients with uveitis, 40% of whom had experienced back pain for >3 months and 12% of whom had a clinical diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). Of the 14 patients with long-term back pain without an axSpA diagnosis, 9 were found to meet established criteria for inflammatory back pain, including pain for >3 months, age ≤50 years, morning stiffness for >30 minutes, and alternating buttock pain. The survey results also found that underdiagnosis of back pain in these patients can lead to delays in referrals to rheumatologists. Cureus