audit of patients presenting to glaucoma clinic

To report the demographic pattern and frequencies of various types of glaucomas and their treatment strategies. At glaucoma clinic of Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi, from 1st July 2006 to 30th June 2007. All the patients above 16 years of age reporting for the first time at glaucoma clinic were included. After recording the demographic profile and taking history, a detailed ocular examination including Snellen visual acuity, slit lamp examination, applanation tonometry, gonioscopy and a stereoscopic assessment of the vertical cup disc ratio [CDR] were performed. In selected subjects, visual field examination was advised. Keeping in view the compliance, affordability of the patient and stage of the disease a treatment plan was made. All the data was recorded on a special proforma then assessed using statistical software SPSS version 12.0. A total number of 800 new patients were examined in the glaucoma clinic during the study period. Among them 487 [60.9%] were males. The male to female ratio was 1.55:1. The age of the patients ranged from 16 years -103 years with a mean age of 57.7 years [ +/- 17.47 SD]. Primary open angle glaucoma [POAG] was the most frequent type of glaucoma [33.50%] followed by the primary angle closure glaucoma [PACG - 22.12%]. POAG was more common in males [34.90% of males] while PACG was more common in females [28.43% of females]. Regarding the management 912 eyes were treated medically, while 273 eyes required some sort of surgical intervention. POAG was the most frequent type of glaucoma at our clinic. The risk of developing glaucoma increases with the advancing age so people aged 40 years and above should be encouraged to visit hospitals for glaucoma screening at least once a year so that the burden of permanent visual morbidity caused by glaucoma could be decreased