Chemical injuries are true ocular emergencies and require immediate evaluation and treatment. The complication of severe chemical burn are permanent. The aim of this study is evaluation of demographic information and therapeutic response of ocular chemical burn.

In this cross-sectional study 250 patients with ocular chemical burn who referred to Farshchian Hospital were enrolled. Demographic characteristic and information regarding the burn were obtained. The Hughes-Roper-Hall classification was used for grading the severity of injury. All patients reevaluated 6 weeks later after injury.

Of 250 patients with complete follow up 155 cases ( 62% ) were male and 95 cases ( 38 % ) were female. Chemical injury were more common in the 20-40 years age group ( 108 case = 43/2 % ).The most common cause of chemical injury were occupational injury( 120 case = 48 % ). 127 case (50/8 % ) of patients referred during The first hour after injury. The most common material of injury was acid in 102 cases (40/8 % ).Grade I burn was seen in 92 cases ( 36/8 % ) and grade IV in 30 cases ( 12 % ).Grading of the injury was related to the referring time after chemical burn. Severity of injury was more in alkaline burn. In 50 % of grade IV causes the burn had alkaline origin, however only 13/3 % of acid burn had grade IV severity. ( p : 0/001)

The incidence of ocular chemical burn was approximately 2/19 % of all patients who referred to emergency ophthalmology service .According to this study ocular injury are more common in the men 20-40 years age group. The most common cause was occupational injury. Delay in referring and alkaline material were poor prognostic factor.