[Evaluation of the knowledge that patients with diabetes mellitus demonstrate about ocular changes due to this illness]. / Avaliação do grau de conhecimento que pacientes com diabetes mellitus demonstram diante das alterações oculares decorrentes dessa doença.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the knowledge of diabetic patients about ocular changes that could be caused by diabetes mellitus. METHODS: A hundred diabetic patients were interviewed in the period of three weeks. Those patients had a scheduled appointment at Endocrinology Sector of Guilherme Alvaro Hospital. The patients answered eight questions about ocular changes that could be caused by diabetes mellitus. RESULTS: Sixty-two female and 38 male, 93% with type II diabetes and mean age of 58.64 years (+/-15.64 years) were evaluated. Forty patients had the diabetes diagnosed for more than 10 years. Seventy per cent of the interviewed patients presented some knowledge about diabetic ocular changes. The questions about treatment demonstrated that 30 patients did not know any kind of treatment and 63 assured that diabetic ocular changes could be treated. Regarding the treatment options, surgery was mentioned by 33% of the patients while, 27% mentioned glasses, 19% laser therapy and 18% mentioned eye drops. The majority (56%) associated their knowledge to doctor's orientation. Some of them understood that they should be examined every 6 months because they learned that ocular changes are likely to occur as the time of diabetes diagnosis increase. Seventy-eight patients denied any ocular treatment and 12 had already performed some treatment. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that 81% of the diabetic patients presents some knowledge about diabetes ocular changes, but they do not have precise informations.

Avaliação do grau de conhecimento que pacientes com diabetes mellitus demonstram diante das alterações oculares decorrentes dessa doença / Evaluation of the knowledge that patients with diabetes mellitus demonstrate about ocular changes due to this illness

OBJETIVO: Avaliar o nível de informação que os pacientes portadores de diabetes mellitus possuem em relação às complicações oculares ocasionadas por essa condição. MÉTODOS: Foram avaliados 100 pacientes diabéticos em três semanas, independente do tipo da doença, com consulta previamente marcada e que compareceram para avaliação no Ambulatório de Endocrinologia do Hospital Guilherme Álvaro. O paciente estando de acordo, foi iniciado um questionário com oito perguntas voltadas ao seu conhecimento sobre as complicações oftalmológicas decorrentes do diabetes mellitus. RESULTADOS: Foram avaliados 62 mulheres e 38 homens, 93 por cento eram diabéticos tipo II, com média de idade de 58,64 anos (± 15,64 anos). Quarenta pacientes apresentavam a doença há mais de 10 anos. Setenta pacientes, que conheciam a existência dessas complicações, mencionaram principalmente a alteração retiniana e a catarata secundária (respectivamente 30 por cento e 27 por cento). Em relação às perguntas sobre a possibilidade de tratamento, 30 pacientes relataram não haver, 7 não sabiam opinar sobre o assunto e 63 responderam que as alterações oculares podiam ser tratadas. Sobre as opções de terapêutica possíveis, a cirurgia foi a mais citada (33 por cento), em seguida foram o uso de óculos (26,6 por cento), aplicação de laser (19,4 por cento), uso de colírio (18 por cento) e lente de contato (3 por cento). A maioria dos pacientes (56 por cento) associou a aquisição dessas informações à orientação médica. Cinquenta e seis pacientes entenderam a necessidade do acompanhamento especializado de 6 meses a 1 ano e a média do tempo decorrido da última consulta foi de cerca de 1 ano e 1 mês (± 1 ano). Setenta e cinco pacientes alegaram que o tempo de doença apresentou analogia com o aparecimento das complicações oculares. Quando interrogados sobre a realização de tratamentos oftalmológicos prévios, 78 entrevistados negaram e 12 asseguraram já terem necessitado. CONCLUSÕES: Grande ...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the knowledge of diabetic patients about ocular changes that could be caused by diabetes mellitus. METHODS: A hundred diabetic patients were interviewed in the period of three weeks. Those patients had a scheduled appointment at Endocrinology Sector of Guilherme Álvaro Hospital. The patients answered eight questions about ocular changes that could be caused by diabetes mellitus. RESULTS: Sixty-two female and 38 male, 93 percent with type II diabetes and mean age of 58.64 years (± 15.64 years) were evaluated. Forty patients had the diabetes diagnosed for more than 10 years. Seventy per cent of the interviewed patients presented some knowledge about diabetic ocular changes. The questions about treatment demonstrated that 30 patients did not know any kind of treatment and 63 assured that diabetic ocular changes could be treated. Regarding the treatment options, surgery was mentioned by 33 percent of the patients while, 27 percent mentioned glasses, 19 percent laser therapy and 18 percent mentioned eye drops. The majority (56 percent) associated their knowledge to doctor's orientation. Some of them understood that they should be examined every 6 months because they learned that ocular changes are likely to occur as the time of diabetes diagnosis increase. Seventy-eight patients denied any ocular treatment and 12 had already performed some treatment. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that 81 percent of the diabetic patients presents some knowledge about diabetes ocular changes, but they do not have precise informations.