Inpatient consultation services in ophthalmology in a teaching hospital of North West frontier province, Pakistan

ABSTRACT

With the expansion of knowledge, medicine is divided into specialities and subspecialties. Human body is one unit and cannot be divided. Many diseases affect different systems and parts of the body at the same time. Moreover a patient may be suffering from more than one disease at one time, each related to a different consultant. Therefore, consultants of different specialities are dependant upon each other for overall management of certain patients. Consultants, other than ophthalmologists, may need the help of ophthalmologists in diagnosis and management of patients. Many systemic diseases have peculiar ocular signs, which are helpful in confirmation of diagnosis. Ophthalmological examination, in certain cases, can totally change the diagnosis and management. This study was performed to analyze the extent of help of an ophthalmologist in management of patients under care of other consultants and to document the COMMON diseases and specialities that need ophthalmologist help, This study was performed at department of ophthalmology Khyber Teaching Hospital Peshawar from June 2006 to December 2006. A standard proforma was designed and all the written requests from different units were included in the study. At the end of study results were analyzed by [SPSS] version 10 software. Total 86 patients were examined from other units on written requests. Forty nine [58.8%] were females and 37 [41.2%] males. Maximum i.e. 46 [54%] [calls] were from medical units, followed by 17 [20%] from paediatric units. Diabetes mellitus was the commonest condition [42%], which needed ophthalmologists consultation, followed by hypertension [25%]. In 30 [36%] patients a secondary ocular diagnosis added and in 11 [13.2%] patients the diagnosis totally changed. Ophthalmologists are very helpful in management of selected patients under care of other physicians. Burden of [calls] on ophthalmologists can be reduced by training the trainees from other units in Ophthalmoscopy