ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The objective of this study on patients with albinism in different age groups was to compare their level of visual impairment with the low-vision intervention (LVI) and its benefit. METHODS: The medical records of 72 patients with low vision secondary to albinism who were referred to the low vision care clinic from 2015 to 2017 were analyzed. This included the demographic profile such as age, gender, occupation, ocular history, visual acuity status, and type of low-vision device (LVD) preferred. The LVDs prescribed and its subsequent improvement was compared. RESULTS: In this data, 70 (97.2%) people had oculocutaneous albinism and 2 (2.8%) had ocular albinism. Majority of the patients had hyperopic astigmatism 42 (58.3%) and with-the-rule astigmatism 58 (93.5%). Presenting mean visual acuity for distance was noted to be 0.88 logMAR which improved to 0.83 logMAR with the help of spectacle correction. The most commonly prescribed LVD was a dome magnifier for 15 (34.9%) patients. In all the patients, there was statistically significant improvement (P < 0.05) in near vision with the help of LVDs. CONCLUSION: The study highlights the importance of appropriate LVI for each subdivided age group. Patients with albinism who have received medical and surgical treatment have no or a limited role in restoring useful vision.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The Indian government announced a nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure to control the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic. This survey was developed and conducted to assess the impact of lockdown on Indian optometry practice. METHODS: A survey questionnaire was designed and circulated across the optometrists practicing in India through multiple social media platforms. All the data were extracted and only valid response were analyzed and reported. RESULTS: A total of 691 optometrists participated in the survey. Most of the participants (22.25%) were in private practice followed by academics (14.89%). Among the valid responses collected, it was found that 43.37% of the respondents were consulting patients during the lockdown. Of these, 27.17% of optometrists were examining infectious cases and 48.68% were examining all the patients who came for consultation. Approximately 50.94% of the participated optometrist had begun telephonic/e‑mail/video consultations. In addition, 64.48% reported that optometrists were at an equal risk of clinching COVID‑19 on comparison with other domains during patient examination. Nearly 30.44% respondents felt that optometrists would face challenges in approaching the patient post COVID-19 considering the close working distance. CONCLUSION: A proportion of optometrist have switched to some form of teleconsultation in order to aid patients during this prevailing pandemic. Regulatory bodies should issue appropriate guidelines regarding the safe optometry practice for the betterment of both patient and practitioners during face-to-face
No disponible
