A Hospital Based Prospective Study to Assess the Presence of Glaucoma Among Patients Visited for Eye Examination at Newly Established Tertiary Care Center: An Observational Study

Abstract

Background: The diagnosis of glaucoma is usually made clinically and requires a comprehensive eye examination, including slit lamp, applanation tonometry, gonioscopy and dilated stereoscopic evaluation of the optic disc and retina. The most significant risk factors of glaucoma include older age, increased intraocular pressure (IOP) in relation to the pressure sensitivity of the optic nerve head, family history, and ethnicity. Lack of awareness about the disease may not only affect the timing of diagnosis, but also using healthcare services. The objective of study to assess the presence of glaucoma among patients visited in ophthalmology out patients for eye examination. Materials & Methods: This is a observational study done on all patients those who were eye checkup in department of ophthalmology in SK Government Medical college, Sikar, Rajasthan, India during one year period. The number of patients attended to screening clinic was 10000 patients. The target sample size was calculated as n=50. Fifty participants were included in this study with a mean ± SD was 37.65±11.72 years old. After taking their informed consents, all the subjects were asked for detailed ocular and systemic histories and they underwent thorough ophthalmic examinations. Results: Regarding gender, males (62%) were higher than females (38%). Most of the participants had high educational level (university degree or higher; 60%). Medical history showed that 14% of participants had diabetes mellitus that may affect eye status, 6% had glaucoma and 22% had positive family history of glaucoma. The majority of patients had mild vision loss (72%) based on the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in the worse-seeing eye and received medication as their initial treatment (72%). About 32% of the patients were diagnosed as glaucoma suspects and only about 14% were diagnosed with severe glaucoma. Conclusion: In conclusion, irreversible blindness is the primary concern in glaucomatous patients. Early detection and treatment are paramount to prevent this inevitable consequence. Good awareness and knowledge about the disease are major determinants of diagnosis and treatment.