The Effect of Direct Health Education on the Uptake of Screening by First Degree Relatives of Glaucoma Patients in Nigeria.

PRCIS: First degree relatives (FDRs) of glaucoma patients are more likely to present for screening when they are directly contacted and educated by health workers on the phone compared with when they are only invited by their relative with glaucoma. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to determine the effect of direct health education by phone calls on the uptake of glaucoma screening among FDRs of primary open angle glaucoma patients as a glaucoma blindness control strategy in an asymptomatic high-risk African population. METHODS: This was a randomized clinical trial in which 102 primary open angle glaucoma patients (probands) were randomized into control and intervention groups. Both proband groups were educated about glaucoma and requested by the investigator to invite their adult FDR to attend a screening clinic within 1 month. In addition, the FDRs in the intervention group were directly contacted, educated, and invited for examination by phone calls. A total of 560 FDRs were enumerated by the probands. The main outcome measure was proportion of FDR that presented for screening. RESULTS: A total of 218 (38.9%) FDRs took up glaucoma screening services. Eighty-nine (30.1%) of the 296 FDRs in the control group and 129 (48.9%) of the 264 FDRs in the intervention group presented for examination. After multivariate analysis, FDRs in the phone call group were 2.506 times [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.695-3.706] more likely to present than FDRs in the no phone call group. Young FDRs were more likely to present [odds ratio (OR)=3.593; 95% CI: 1.613-8.007] than the elderly FDRs, while FDRs living within 200 km of the hospital were also more likely to present (OR=5.200; 95% CI: 2.860-9.456) than those living far (>200 km) away. Probands with moderate to severe visual impairment were significantly more likely (OR=3.073; 95% CI: 1.845-4.352) to have their FDRs present than probands with mild or no visual impairment. CONCLUSION: Direct contact and health education of FDRs through phone calls had a significant positive effect on the uptake of glaucoma screening by FDRs. We recommend direct contact and education of the FDRs of glaucoma patients.

Pattern of ocular injuries in owo, Nigeria.

PURPOSE: To determine the pattern of ocular injuries in patients presenting to the eye clinic and the accident and emergency department of Federal Medical Center, Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria. METHODS: This prospective study was conducted between January and December 2009. Federal Medical Center, Owo is the only tertiary hospital in Ondo State, Nigeria. The eye center located at this medical center was the only eye care facility in the community at the time of this study. All patients were interviewed with the aid of an interviewer-administered questionnaire and underwent a detailed ocular examination. RESULTS: Of 132 patients included in the study, most (84.1%) sustained blunt eye injury while (12.1%) had penetrating eye injury. A considerable proportion of patients (37.9%) presented within 24 hours of injury. Vegetative materials were the most common (42.4%) offending agent, a minority of patients (22%) was admitted and none of the patients had used eye protection at the time of injury. CONCLUSION: In the current series, blunt eye injury was the most common type of ocular trauma. The community should be educated and informed about the importance of preventive measures including protective eye devices during high risk activities. Patients should be encouraged to present early following ocular injury.