Patient's perception towards the eye health care system in a tertiary eye care centre in Nepal.

This study was performed to determine patient's perceptions towards eye health care systems in a tertiary eye care center in Nepal. Subjects were randomly selected from the outpatient department of Tilganga Eye Centre (TEC), a tertiary eye care center in Kathmandu, Nepal. The study was performed in April 2003 with 54 patients responding to several questions concerning their satisfaction of the eye care process. Over 40 (74.1%) of the respondents expressed overall satisfaction with the service provided by the hospital staff, and 4 (7.4%) were not satisfied. In addition, a total of 40 (74.1%) respondents were dissatisfied with the extended waiting time for eye examinations and other ocular services, while 7 (13.0%) were satisfied. The study shows that the majority of patients who are treated at Tilganga Eye Centre have positive feelings about Tilganga and its service system. Some processes, however, could be altered or improved to augment the overall quality of patient care.

Microbiology of dacryocystitis among adults population in southern Australia.

Retrospective study on microbiology of dacryocystitis cases in adults was carried out at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital (RVEEH). Sixty-four consecutive cases seen between March 2000 and June 2003 were included. Seventy-nine organisms were isolated from the sixty-six samples (1.2/specimen). Aerobic or facultative bacteria were recovered in 76 (96.2), fungi from two specimens (2.5%). And anaerobic bacteria from only one specimen (1.3%). Staphylococcus aureus (27), was most common followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (6), Proteus mirabilis (4), Hemophilus parainfluenza (4) and H. influenza (4). Fifty-four samples showed single organism while 12 samples showed multiple organisms. Overall, Gram-positive organisms were predominating (54.4%) over Gram negative (41.8%) organisms. The current bacteriology of lacrimal duct obstruction in the population served by the RVEEH should be taken into account while selecting first line antimicrobial treatment for dacryocystitis and in prophylaxis in lacrimal drainage surgery.

Acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis epidemic--2003 in Nepal.

This rapid communication present the findings of nationwide outbreak of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) epidemic occurred in Nepal during summer 2003. Only ten percent of samples showed bacterial and no fungus were grown. On the contrary, viruses were detected in 60.0% cases studied. Of the viruses detected, Adenovirus (ADV), Coxsackie virus (CA24v) and both accounted for 83.3% (30/36), 11.1% (4/36) and 5.5% (2/36), respectively. Interestingly, ADV was detected also from one of the ten a Rupees bill.