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This electronic newsletter serves as a monthly update on the developments in the field of ophthalmology, issues related to prevention of blindness and new trends in clinical studies in the Middle East and Africa.
MEACO Head Office: P.O.Box 7947, Riyadh 11472, Saudi Arabia
Tel: +966 1 466 1085 - Fax: +966 1 466 1049 - info@meaco.org
WOC2012 Updates
● Vice President appointed for WOC2012
● Second Early Bird deadline ends 15 December 2011
● A comprehensive retina program awaits you at WOC2012
● Stay up-to-date on the latest oculoplastic practices and advances at WOC212
News
Scientific Articles
mid-level eye care personnel and general physicians in Oman
● Blindness in Iraq: Leading causes, target patients, and barriers to treatment
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In addition to the invited program you can also expect over 190 free paper presentations on Medical and Surgical Retina, specialized instructional courses and many video and digital poster presentations!
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● The use of modern imaging techniques in glaucoma diagnosis & follow up.
● A complete course on visual field testing & interpretation in glaucoma.
● How to optimize medical therapy for glaucoma.
● Pearls in the surgical management of adult onset and paediatric glaucoma.
Please click here to view the OSEA 2011 Scientific Program.
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Materials and Methods: A closed ended questionnaire was administered during November 2008 and November 2009 to eye care team members in six regions of Oman, where trainings were held. All participants of these trainings were included in our study. The questionnaire comprised 15 questions that tested the knowledge of the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes and its ocular complications. They circled the most suitable reply for a list of choices. The replies were compared with the gold standard (answers from a medical retina specialist, a diabetologist's and general ophthalmologist’s answers). The participants were divided into two groups; acceptable (more than 50% score compared to gold standard) and less than desired (less than 50% score compared to gold standard.) We estimated the areas of acceptable level of knowledge in different subgroups.
Results: All 87 (100%) of eye care team members participated. Of the 42 general ophthalmologists, 30 (71.4%) had an acceptable level of knowledge about primary prevention, ideal blood sugar and blood pressure levels and complication of diabetes. The acceptable level of knowledge among mid level eye care providers and general physicians was found in 15 (54.5%) and 4 (33.3%) respondents respectively.
Conclusion: Less than the desired number of participants of the eye care team had an acceptable level of knowledge about primary prevention, ideal blood sugar and blood pressure levels and complications of diabetes. The training of eye care personnel need to enhance knowledge in the weak areas is identified in this study.
Rajiv Khandekar, Rajesh Deshmukh, Urmi Vora, Saleh Al Harby
Middle East Afr J Ophthalmol 2011; Volume: 18, Issue 3, Page: 204-208
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Material and Method: Successive new patients, 6 years of age and older, who attended three outpatients clinics at Ibn Al-Haetham Teaching Eye Hospital (IAHTEH), Baghdad, Iraq, from September 1 to November 30, 2007, were included in this study. Inclusion criterion was fulfillment of the World Health Organization's definition of blindness. The cause of blindness was identified and subjects were interviewed for collection of data on demographic characteristics and barriers to treatment.
Results: Of 18612 consecutive patients who attended the outpatient clinics, 497 (2.7%) patients were blind. Cataract (76.1%), diabetic retinopathy (12.9%), and glaucoma (5%) were the leading causes of blindness. The majority of blind patients had low socioeconomic status and poor educational level. In cases of cataract, the most important barrier to treatment was the waiting list at the hospital (53.7%). A lack of awareness was the most important barrier to treatment for patients with diabetic retinopathy (54.7%) and glaucoma (56%).
Conclusions: The preliminary data from our study will aid in the development of blindness prevention programs in Iraq. Priorities include decreasing waiting lists for cataract surgeries at governmental hospitals. Active health promotion programs for early detection and treatment of diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma are also warranted.
Faiz I Al-Shakarchi
Middle East Afr J Ophthalmol 2011; Volume: 18, Issue 3, Page: 199-203
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