ABSTRACT
Objectives: to estimate the prevalence of avoidable blindness in people aged 50 years and older in Gezira state, Sudan using Rapid Assessment for Avoidable Blindness [RAAB] methodology
Design: cross-sectional population-based survey
Participants: forty three clusters of 50 people aged 50 years or older were selected by probability proportionate to size sampling of clusters. Households within clusters were selected through compact segment sampling. A total of 2150 eligible persons were selected, of whom 2103 [97.8%] were examined
Methods: participants underwent a comprehensive ophthalmic examination in their homes by specially trained ophthalmic teams, including measurement of visual acuity [VA] with a tumbling-E chart and the diagnosis of the principal cause of visual impairment
Results: the prevalence of bilateral blindness [presenting VA < 3/60] was 9.37% [95% confidence interval [CI], +/- 1.95], and prevalence of bilateral visual impairment [VA of <6/18-6/60] was 3.9% [95% CI, +/- 1.10] in the sample. Definite avoidable causes of blindness [i.e., cataract, refractive error, trachoma, and corneal scarring] were responsible for 74.6% of bilateral blindness. Cataract was the major cause of blindness [57.4%] followed by glaucoma [17.3%]
Conclusions: the prevalence of blindness in people aged 50 years and older in Gezira state was slightly higher than expected. The main cause of blindness is cataract, followed by glaucoma. Three quarters of blindness is due to avoidable causes
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease. It is presented by a triad of elevated intraocular pressure [IOP], progressive optic nerve damage, and constriction of the peripheral visual field
Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the ocular hypotensive effects of some drugs used in treatment of open angle glaucoma [OAG] at Alsaym Ophthalmic Hospital, Wad Medani, Sudan
Methodology: A cross-sectional hospital-based study was conducted at specialized ophthalmological health setting. Patients [n = 200] diagnosed with OAG and treated with different anti-glaucoma drugs were selected randomly to participate in this study. The ocular hypotensive effects of anti-glaucoma drugs were evaluated monthly for 4 successive months, by measuring the diurnal IOP for each patient, using tonometer. The obtained data were collected in especial data collection form and analyzed by IBM SPSS Inc. [IBM SPSS Statistics] Software; Group's Business Analytics Portfolio
Results: Monotherapy of timolol [eye drops 0.5% and 0.1% eye gel], betaxolol 0.5% eye drops produced significant reductions in the total mean of IOP, ranged between 4.4 and 6.1 mmHg, while travoprost 0.004% eye drops showed a remarkable reduction of 7.3 mmHg. Combinations of travoprost with timolol and and/or dorzolamide 2% resulted in significant IOP lowering effects, ranged from 8.9 to 12.7 mmHg. Mono or combined therapy with travoprost was found to be superior to other anti-glaucoma monotherapy
Conclusion: The obtained results showed that travoprost produced clinical significant and superior ocular hypotensive effects when used alone or in combination with timolol and/or dorzolamide. It is thus recommended to use prostaglandin analogues in treatment of OAG because they are the most effective agents in reducing the mean diurnal IOP
ABSTRACT
A periodic review of the curriculum is a key element for the success of any educational program. The Medical Laboratory Technology [MLT] program at King Faisal University has undergone repeated reviews of its curriculum. Recently, we evaluated the curriculum through an academic staff members committee which thoroughly reviewed, it proposed certain changes and finally implemented those changes into the program structure. We also investigated the student's views about the changes in the curriculum through a structured questionnaire. This paper describes the different changes that have occurred in the MLT curriculum and the senior students' and recent graduates' view of the program. It also discusses the introduction of Problem Based Learning [PBL] as one of the future directions of curriculum change, the challenges and barriers of introducing PBL and how PBL could be best adopted in the curriculum
Subject(s)
Health Care Reform , Clinical Laboratory TechniquesABSTRACT
To study the clinical presentation and laboratory findings of Glanzmann's thrombasthenia [GT]. This retrospective study was carried out from 1st January 1983 to 31[st]December, 2003. The records of the coagulation laboratory, Hematology clinic and medical records department were reviewed. Clinical data and family history were recorded. Laboratory investigations done included; complete blood count [CBC] peripheral blood smear [PBS], bleeding time [BT], activated partial thromboplastin time [APTT], prothrombin time [PT] clot retraction, platelet aggregation and in some patients flow cytometric analysis of platelet glycoproteins was carried out. Thirty-one patients were diagnosed with Glanzmann's thromboasthemia, seventeen were males and 14 were females. All were Saudi patients [most from eastern province and the southern part of the Kingdom] except for one Sudanese male patient. The mean age of patients was 26 +/- 12.34 years. The oldest was 71 years and the youngest 20 days. Many patients had bleeding from more than one site. The clinical presentations are as follows: epistaxis 16 [52%] menorrhagia 11 [35.5%], gum bleeding 10 [32.3%], bruises 7 [22.6%], bleeding at circumcision 4 [13%], hemoarthrosis 4 [13%], ecchymosis and petechial rash 5 [16.1%], gastrointestinal [GIT] bleeding 7 [23%], hematuria 2 [7%], delayed wound healing 1 [3%], bleeding with tooth eruption 1 [3%] and hemoptysis 1 [3%].Thirty patients had a prolonged bleeding time, all 31 patients had normal APTT and PT. Thirteen patients [42%] had poor clot retraction, 12 [39%] had no clot retraction and 6 [19%] had normal clot retraction. All patients had a marked reduction or absent aggregation to platelet agonists; adenosine diphosphate [ADP], collagen, epinephrine and arachidonic acid. Thirteen patients also had a reduction in aggregation with ristocetin. Flow cytometric analysis done on some patients showed a reduction in platelet membrane glycoproteins 41 and 62 [CD41, CD62]. In spite of the fact that GT is a rare disease worldwide, the situation might be different in our country. The spectrum of clinical presentation and complications in patients with GT appears to be wide, in addition to different platelet aggregation patterns i.e. reduction in aggregation with ristocetin. Still more studies are needed to clarify the pattern in Saudi patients and to raise awareness hoping to help in early recognition, presentation, and more appropriate management. Extensive collaborated studies are needed to predict the true incidence of hereditary bleeding disorders including GT among the Saudi population, as well as a national registry for these disorders