Análisis epidemiológico de las consultas oftalmológicas en el servicio de urgencia del Hospital 21 de Mayo de Taltal año 2009 / Epidemiological analysis of the ophthalmologist consults in the emergency department of Hospital de Taltal

Objetivo: Realizar un análisis epidemiológico de las consultas oftalmológicas atendidas en el Servicio de Urgencia (SU) del Hospital de Taltal. Método: Estudio retrospectivo de los pacientes atendidos en el SU el 2009, clasificados según edad, sexo y diagnóstico. Resultados: 533 atenciones de causa oftalmológica se realizaron el 2009, 330 hombres (62 por ciento) y 203 mujeres (38 por ciento). Consultaron desde los 15 días de edad hasta los 82 años, la mayor concentración de atenciones en el rango etario de 25-44 años con un 30,1 por ciento, 67 por ciento fueron por causa no traumática y 33 por ciento de causa traumática. El diagnóstico más frecuente fue Conjuntivitis (36 por ciento). Los pacientes derivados correspondieron al 9,1 por ciento del total. Conclusiones: La morbilidad oftalmológica es una importante causa de consultas en los SU del país, en su mayoría atendidas por médicos generales, por lo que es importante insistir en su perfeccionamiento continuo para evitar una sobredemanda de interconsultas a los hospitales de referencia.

Objective: To conduct an epidemiological analysis of the ophthalmologist consults in the Emergency Department (ED) Hospital de Taltal. Method: Retrospective study of patients in the ED during 2009, classified by age, sex and diagnosis. Results: 533 eye attentions causes were conducted during 2009, 330 were men (62 percent) and 203 women (38 percent). Patients who consulted were from 15 days to 82 years old, with the greatest concentration of attention in the age range of 25-44 years with 30.1 percent of consultations, 67 percent were for no traumatic causes and 33 percent were traumatic causes. The most frequent diagnosis was conjunctivitis with 36 percent. Patients who require derivations correspond to 9.1 percent of the total. Conclusions: The morbidity of ophthalmologic origin are a major cause of consultations in the country's emergency services, which are mostly attended by general doctors, so it is important to insist on their improvement in order to prevent oversubscription to the ophthalmology services.

Caracterización de las urgencias oftalmológicas en el Hospital José Joaquín Aguirre / Characterization ophthalmological emergencies in Hospital José Joaquín Aguirre

Objective: To perform an epidemiological data of the number and characteristics of patients who consult with ophthalmological emergencies in an Ophthalmology Service. Methods: Aretrospective analysis was performed of all patients attending to the Ophthalmology Service of José Joaquín Aguirre Hospital with ophthalmic emergencies, during one-month period. Consultation distributions were determined by gender, age, consultation reason and final diagnosis. Results: of the 2056 consultations seen in the Ophthalmology Service during the monitoring period, only 60 patients came due to an emergency. 48 percent were men and 52 percent women. Ages of the sample ranged from 0 to 86 years, were the 51-70 years interval represented 43.3 percent; 23.3 percent were due to traumatic causes and 76.7 percent of non-traumatic origin. In 40 percent of the cases the reason of consultation was red eye, while the most common final diagnosis was acute conjunctivitis (28.3 percent). Patients who required control represented 31.7 percent and hospitalization was not considered necessary. Conclusion: the medical emergencies caused by eye problems area major cause of disease, representing a significant proportion of the general ophthalmological consultations. Therefore, general doctors and other health professionals should be trained to identify, handle and refer to specialist if necessary, the most prevalent eye pathologies.