TOPLINE:

An analysis of several hundred eye injuries related to fishing from 2005 to 2024 revealed contusions or corneal abrasions as the most common diagnoses. The annual frequency of visits to the emergency department for these injuries decreased over the 20-year period.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a retrospective descriptive analysis and trend study using a national US database to provide updated epidemiologic information on the trends and characteristics of fishing-associated ocular injuries.
• They analyzed 345 cases of fishing-associated ocular injuries that presented to emergency departments at participating hospitals between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2024; results were stratified by year.
• Epidemiologic and clinical data for each entry were evaluated, which included age, sex, diagnosis of the eye injury, cause of the injury, and disposition from the emergency department.

TAKEAWAY:

• Throughout the 20-year study period, the annual frequency of visits to the emergency department for fishing-associated ocular injuries showed a declining trend across all age groups (r, -0.481).
• Adults aged 18-64 years, White individuals, and men accounted for most visits (55.9%, 60.3%, and 83.5%, respectively); most patients (85.2%) were released from the emergency department after examination and treatment.
• Contusions or corneal abrasions were the most frequent diagnoses, accounting for 40.8% of cases.
• The leading mechanisms of ocular injury were fishhooks or lures (32.5%), fishing rods (21.4%), and weights (11.6%).

IN PRACTICE:

“The data from this study highlights the risk of ocular morbidity in fishing and its presentations so that clinicians may be aware of ocular trauma associated with this sport and provide informed advocacy for injury prevention and eye care in the future,” the researchers reported.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Sean E. Pak, of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. It was published online on November 4, 2025, in the American Journal of Ophthalmology.

LIMITATIONS:

The study was limited by the small sample size available in the database. Because the data were collected from emergency department visits, the total number of fishing-associated ocular injuries was likely underestimated since cases treated in other healthcare settings, such as outpatient or ophthalmology clinics, were excluded. The event narratives were inconsistently described and often lacked detail, providing limited information on visual acuity, ocular complications, and patient outcomes.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported in part by an unrestricted grant from Research to Prevent Blindness. The authors reported having no financial disclosures.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.