ABSTRACT
@#The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence and causes of visually impairment among children below 4 years old in two public tertiary referral hospitals in Selangor, Malaysia. In this cross-sectional retrospective study, the case files of all children aged below 4 years from the ophthalmology clinics in two separate public hospitals in Selangor, Malaysia were analysed over a 5-year period. The definition of visual impairment was based on the World Health Organization (WHO) classification, i.e. moderate visual impairment: visual acuity <6/18 to 6/60 in the better eye; severe visual impairment: <6/60 to 3/60 in the better eye; and blindness: visual acuity <3/60 in the better eye. Prevalence of visual impairment was based on the presenting visual acuity and then differentiated according to the cause of visual impairment diagnosed. A total of 243 (17.38%) children from a total of 1,398 children were classified as visually impaired. Most of these children (n=119, 49.0%) exhibited moderate visual impairment, 26 (10.7%) had severe visual impairment, while 98 (40.3%) were blind. Refractive errors (n=60, 24.7%) were the most common cause of vision impairment, mostly myopes (n=28, 46.7 %). This was followed by strabismus (n=31, 12.8%) and retinopathy of prematurity (n=29, 11.9%). In conclusion, vision impairment was prevalent in children aged below 4 years old presenting to two ophthalmology clinics in a highly urbanised region in Malaysia. High refractive errors were the major cause of vision impairment seen. Our study highlights the need and utmost importance of an early intervention programme to be implemented for these children since the main cause of vision impairment found in this study is an easily treated problem.
Subject(s)
Vision Disorders , Prevalence , Child , BlindnessABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence and causes of visually impairment among children below 4 years old in two public tertiary referral hospitals in Selangor, Malaysia. In this cross-sectional retrospective study, the case files of all children aged below 4 years from the ophthalmology clinics in two separate public hospitals in Selangor, Malaysia were analysed over a 5-year period. The definition of visual impairment was based on the World Health Organization (WHO) classification, i.e. moderate visual impairment: visual acuity <6/18 to 6/60 in the better eye; severe visual impairment: <6/60 to 3/60 in the better eye; and blindness: visual acuity <3/60 in the better eye. Prevalence of visual impairment was based on the presenting visual acuity and then differentiated according to the cause of visual impairment diagnosed. A total of 243 (17.38%) children from a total of 1,398 children were classified as visually impaired. Most of these children (n=119, 49.0%) exhibited moderate visual impairment, 26 (10.7%) had severe visual impairment, while 98 (40.3%) were blind. Refractive errors (n=60, 24.7%) were the most common cause of vision impairment, mostly myopes (n=28, 46.7 %). This was followed by strabismus (n=31, 12.8%) and retinopathy of prematurity (n=29, 11.9%). In conclusion, vision impairment was prevalent in children aged below 4 years old presenting to two ophthalmology clinics in a highly urbanised region in Malaysia. High refractive errors were the major cause of vision impairment seen. Our study highlights the need and utmost importance of an early intervention programme to be implemented for these children since the main cause of vision impairment found in this study is an easily treated problem.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Microbial keratitis (MK) is an important cause for corneal blindness and understanding its risk factors enable us to improve management and minimise its complications. Methods: In this retrospective case review, medical records of all patients treated for MK from 2006 to 2013 was analysed to know the socio-demography, preceding risk factors, clinical characteristics, causative organisms and final visual outcome. Results: A total of 174 patients (180 eyes) were included in this study. Identifiable ocular risk factors included contact lens (CL) usage (85, 47.2%), ocular trauma (50, 27.8%), ocular surface disease (21, 11.6%), steroid use (6, 3.3%) and immuno-compromy (19, 10.5%). Association factors for presenting uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) were age group (p=0.013), size (p<0.001), location (p<0.001) and hypopyon (p<0.001). The predictors for final best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) were age group (p<0.001), nationality (p=0.020), occupation (p<0.001), CL use (p<0.001), ocular surface disease (p=0.048), size (p<0.001) and location (p<0.044), hospitalisation duration (p=0.002) and presenting UCVA (p<0.001). Conclusions: Contact lens was the most frequent predisposing risk factor for microbial keratitis, followed by ocular trauma. Understanding the association factors for presenting vision and predictors for final vision may help in the patients’ management and improve eventual outcome of microbial keratitis.