Pattern of eye diseases at tertiary eye hospital in Sudan [Makah Eye Hospital, Khartoum]

Purpose: The aim of the study was to determine the frequency and pattern of eye diseases among patients attending the eye clinics of Makah Eye Hospital, Khartoum, Sudan

Methods: A retrospective study involved all the new cases presenting to the outpatient department of the hospital over a 22-month period from January 2012 to October 2013. Patients were examined by optometrists/ophthalmologists through routine examination using the Snellen's chart, refraction, tonometry, slit-lamp examination of the anterior segment, and fundus examination

Results: A total of 64,529 patients were seen during this period with a male to female ratio of 1:1.1. The most common eye diseases were cataract, allergic conjunctivitis, infective conjunctivitis, refractive disorders, and glaucoma

Conclusion: The pattern of eye diseases observed in Makah Eye Hospital was similar to other reports from developing world and such study will be helpful in planning, management, and prevention of blindness

Pattern of eye diseases at the primary health centers in a Pakistani district

Pakistan has an extensive network of public facilities aimed to provide primary health care including eye care. Yet no data exist on the number and purpose of eye visits to these facilities. This study aimed to describe the pattern of eye diseases in public primary care hospitals in a district in Pakistan's Sindh province. This study was conducted in 14 randomly selected government primary health care centers 10 Basic Health Units and 4 Rural Health Centers in district Nawab shah, a central district of Sindh province. Doctors in these centers were trained in diagnosis and management of common eye diseases at the primary level and requested to record data prospectively on the total number of patient visits, total number of eye consultations and reasons for eye consultation. Data were entered and analyzed using EPI Info Software. Over a period of one month, 9759 visits were made to the 14 selected primary health care centers. Eye diseases accounted for 1.8% of the total visits. Adults were more likely to have an eye consultation compared with children [Odds Ratio: 2.96; P < 0.01]. Conjunctivitis [34.1%], cataract [22.0%], and corneal problems [6.9%] were the most common reasons for eye consultations. Despite solid evidence of a high burden of eye diseases at the community level in Pakistan, eye diseases accounted for only a very small proportion of the total consultations in the primary health care facilities. Efforts are needed to assess barriers to optimal utilization of existing primary health care services for eye diseases

Pre-operative screening of hepatitis (type B, C) and HIV for patients undergoing cataract surgery at makkah eye complex, khartoum, sudan

Background: The prevalence of Hepatitis [type B and C] and Human Immunodeficiency Virus [HIV] is high in Sub-Saharan region. This creates an attentive risk of transmission among medical staff and their patients. The aim of this article is to appraise possible changes of transmission of those diseases among theater staff and ophthalmic patients

Objectives: To determine the proportion of patients for cataract surgery who might be carriers to hepatitis and/or HIV

Methods: A total of 4848 patients registered for cataract surgery between May and October, 2012 at Makkah Eye Complex, Khartoum, Sudan; were serology screened for hepatitis [type B and C] and HIV. There were 336 patients found to be positively infected by one or more of these diseases

Results: During study period the prevalence rate of total of these viral diseases was 6.93% [336/4848] of which 0.53% [26/4848] patients were HIV positive, 4.5% [227/4848] were positive for hepatitis [B] and 1.9% [95/4848] were positive for hepatitis [C]

Conclusion: There is a negligible but real risk of transmission of HIV and hepatitis during cataract surgery. Pre-operative screening of all patients going for major ophthalmic surgery may be desirable to protect theater staff and patients

Ocular disorders among school-going Pakistani children

The objective of this work is to find out the pattern of eye problems in School-going children of ages 6 to 15 years. The current work designed as descriptive and cross sectional study. All students of schools/ Madaris [religious schools] of district Lasbela were screened during the first week of February 2001 to 30[th] September 2002. all students of Schools/ Madaris of district Lasbela were included in the study. Visual acuity was measured using Standard Snellen's chart; external examination was carried out with the help of torch and Direct Ophthalmoscope. Children with VA<6/12 were refracted to best correction. The team included a community ophthalmologist, an ophthalmologist, an ophthalmic technician and a community social worker. Structured questionnaire was prepared and operational methods were field tested and refined by piloting at the outpatient of Eye Department, JPMC abbreviation for what?. Ophthalmic technician with community social worker checked vision of all students. Ophthalmologist examined the children for any abnormality and refracted children with VA<6/12. All schools and madaris of the target area were visited. The results showed that out of 25437 examined school going children, 77.16% were found to be normal and 22.84% had some ocular problem. When main stream schools were compared to madaris for any eye abnormality, the respective figures were 20.7% to 34.34 as an appreciable difference. Amblyopia 0.24% [0.21% to 0.37], Blephritis 0.146%, [1,46 to 1.44], cataract 0.17 [0.17 to 0.19], Conjunctivitis 11.10% [10.03 to 17.00], glaucoma 0.007% [0.005 to 0.02], nystagmus 0.10% [0.10 to 0.07], ptosis 0.12% [0.14 to 0.04], refractive errors 2.90% [2.14 to 7.00], squint 0.45% [0.45 to 0.54], VADD 3.29% [3.29 to 3.14], vernal catarrh 1.90% [1.62 to 3.33], non-specific 1.01% [0.98 to 1.19]. Appreciable difference is noted in conjunctivitis, refractive errors and spring catarrh. It was concluded that schools screening could play an important role in promotion of eye health and prevention of childhood blindness. It should be an important component of any program of [prevention and control of blindness]

Reflections on eye care services of Al-basar International Foundation in Sudan

Cataract is responsible for 48% of world blindness, which represents about 18 million people. This leading cause of blindness can be surgically removed to restore the vision. Keeping In view the above background, Al-Basar International Foundation founded in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1989 as a NGO to render eye care services in countries of Africa and Asia through free Eye Camps and establishment of Eye Hospitals. Since then the organization worked in more than 40 countries of Africa and Asia and conducted nearly 750 free eye camps. In those Eye Camps nearly 2.5 million people had been screened, 225.000 were operated and 600.000 spectacles had been distributed 3 Al-Basar International Foundation introduced their services in Sudan through free eye camps in Khartoum and Kadabas in 1993. Within the span of 15 years, the foundation conducted 175 free eye camps, established six Eye Hospitals in the country through which large numbers of people had been benefited