[The morbidity diagnosed among the elderly in primary care at the sanitary region of Sousse]. / La morbidité diagnostiquée en première ligne chez les personnes âgées dans la région sanitaire de Sousse.

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, the ageing of the population became a societal frequent problem throughout the world. In Tunisia, the part of the elderly of 60 years old and over is estimated at 17,7 % in 2029. This ageing is at the origin of important health problems, in particular the increase of the frequency of the chronic diseases. AIM: To identify the Sociodemographic characteristics of the consultants of 65 years old and over, and to describe the morbidity diagnosed in this age group in the primary health care centers of the sanitary region of Sousse. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study in 86 primary health care centers in Sousse over 1 year (2002-2003). Medical records for 3 weeks per season were randomly selected. The International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC) was used to code recorded data. RESULTS: 2198 consultations were collected, elderly person presents on average 1,22 (± 0,55) morbid states by consultation. The main diseases identified in order were cardiovascular (26,2%), breathing (20,8%), osteo-articular (14,8%). Psychological and social disorders accounted for only 0,4% of cases. The major health problems were uncomplicated hypertension (22,4%), acute bronchitis / bronchiolitis (9,2%), diabetes mellitus type 2 (7,9%) and osteoarthritis of knee (4,7%). CONCLUSION: These results are important both to meet the needs of consultants and especially to better adapt the training to practice field.

[Therapeutic compliance in primary open angle glaucoma]. / L'observance therapeutique dans les glaucomes primitifs a angle ouvert.

BACKGROUND: Compliance with medical treatment is a public health problem. It denotes the patient's perception of the disease and the treatment prescribed by doctors. It concerns one out of two patients. It may happen to any patient at one or another. It is secondary for reasons that are numerous and modifiable in time. It results from problems related to the patient as much as to the doctor. It represents an obstacle to paying for chronic diseases such as chronic open-angle glaucoma, hence the importance given to it in the recent years. AIM: To evaluate the compliance of adult patients suffering from early open-angle glaucoma and to determine the influential factors. METHODS: We conducted a survey at the ophthalmology department of Ibn El Jazzar Hospital among 132 adults being treated for early open-angle glaucoma. The evaluation was done on the basis of patient's medical files and a questionnaire from January 2007 to June of the same year. It ranges between good, average or bad depending on the frequency of the patient's visits to doctors, regularity of treatment and compliance with the doctor's prescription. RESULTS: 40.15% of the patients have positively complied with the prescriptions. This improvement has mainly been due to the following factors: The patient's good knowledge of the disease and its treatment; use of antiseptic eye lotion with the utmost effectiveness for the least instillation and side effects; patient's mastery of drop usage; doctor's intensive care required for some particular cases. CONCLUSION: Our results need to be confirmed by other studies. It's very important to consider all the determining factors in order to improve patient's compliance.