Potential Impact of Seatbelt Use on the Spectrum of Ocular Injuries and Visual Acuity Outcomes after Motor Vehicle Accidents with Airbag Deployment

Purpose To investigate the association between seatbelt use and (1) the spectrum of ocular injuries and (2) visual acuity outcomes after motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) with airbag deployment. Design Single-center retrospective observational case series. Participants Forty-seven patients involved in MVAs with airbag deployment. Methods Medical record review of all patients evaluated after an MVA with airbag deployment between January, 1997, and August, 2005, at a single level 1 trauma center. Main Outcome Measures Type of ocular injury and visual acuity at 3 months after an MVA. Results Seventy-one percent of patients who did not wear seatbelts experienced type III ocular injuries compared with 31% who wore seatbelts ( P 0.10); a visual acuity worse than 20/200 was measured in 14% and 0% of patients in the 2 groups, respectively ( P