Refractive errors among patients attending the ophthalmology department of a medical college in North-East India
Purpose: To determine the magnitude and pattern of refractive errors among patients attending the ophthalmology department of a new medical college in North-East India. Materials and Methods: A prospective study of the new patients (age ≥5 years), who were phakic and whose unaided visual acuities we...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2017-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.jfmpc.com/article.asp?issn=2249-4863;year=2017;volume=6;issue=3;spage=543;epage=548;aulast=Natung |
| _version_ | 1828160732634546176 |
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| author | Tanie Natung Trishna Taye Laura Amanda Lyngdoh Begonia Dkhar Ranendra Hajong |
| author_facet | Tanie Natung Trishna Taye Laura Amanda Lyngdoh Begonia Dkhar Ranendra Hajong |
| author_sort | Tanie Natung |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Purpose: To determine the magnitude and pattern of refractive errors among patients attending the ophthalmology department of a new medical college in North-East India. Materials and Methods: A prospective study of the new patients (age ≥5 years), who were phakic and whose unaided visual acuities were worse than 20/20 but improved with pinhole, was done. Complete ophthalmic examination and refraction with appropriate cycloplegia for age were done for the 4582 eligible patients. Spherical equivalents (SE) of refractive errors of the right eyes were used for analysis. Results: Of the 4582 eligible patients, 2546 patients had refractive errors (55.56%). The proportion of emmetropia (SE − 0.50–+0.50 diopter sphere [DS]), myopia (SE −0.50 DS), high myopia (SE >−5.0 DS), and hypermetropia (+0.50 DS for adults and >+2.0 DS for children) were 53.1%, 27.4%, 2.6%, and 16.9%, respectively. The proportion of hyperopia increased till 59 years and then decreased with age (P = 0.000). The proportion of myopia and high myopia decreased significantly with age after 39 years (P = 0.000 and P = 0.004, respectively). Of the 1510 patients with astigmatism, 17% had with-the-rule (WTR), 23.4% had against-the-rule (ATR), and 19% had oblique astigmatisms. The proportion of WTR and ATR astigmatisms significantly decreased (P = 0.000) and increased (P = 0.000) with age, respectively. Conclusions: This study has provided the magnitude and pattern of refractive errors in the study population. It will serve as the initial step for conducting community-based studies on the prevalence of refractive errors in this part of the country since such data are lacking from this region. Moreover, this study will help the primary care physicians to have an overview of the magnitude and pattern of refractive errors presenting to a health-care center as refractive error is an established and significant public health problem worldwide. |
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a7be0c9e6b1442bb8427160e12b706b6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2249-4863 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T00:26:43Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care |
| spelling | doaj.art-a7be0c9e6b1442bb8427160e12b706b62022-12-22T03:55:29ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of Family Medicine and Primary Care2249-48632017-01-016354354810.4103/2249-4863.222023Refractive errors among patients attending the ophthalmology department of a medical college in North-East IndiaTanie NatungTrishna TayeLaura Amanda LyngdohBegonia DkharRanendra HajongPurpose: To determine the magnitude and pattern of refractive errors among patients attending the ophthalmology department of a new medical college in North-East India. Materials and Methods: A prospective study of the new patients (age ≥5 years), who were phakic and whose unaided visual acuities were worse than 20/20 but improved with pinhole, was done. Complete ophthalmic examination and refraction with appropriate cycloplegia for age were done for the 4582 eligible patients. Spherical equivalents (SE) of refractive errors of the right eyes were used for analysis. Results: Of the 4582 eligible patients, 2546 patients had refractive errors (55.56%). The proportion of emmetropia (SE − 0.50–+0.50 diopter sphere [DS]), myopia (SE −0.50 DS), high myopia (SE >−5.0 DS), and hypermetropia (+0.50 DS for adults and >+2.0 DS for children) were 53.1%, 27.4%, 2.6%, and 16.9%, respectively. The proportion of hyperopia increased till 59 years and then decreased with age (P = 0.000). The proportion of myopia and high myopia decreased significantly with age after 39 years (P = 0.000 and P = 0.004, respectively). Of the 1510 patients with astigmatism, 17% had with-the-rule (WTR), 23.4% had against-the-rule (ATR), and 19% had oblique astigmatisms. The proportion of WTR and ATR astigmatisms significantly decreased (P = 0.000) and increased (P = 0.000) with age, respectively. Conclusions: This study has provided the magnitude and pattern of refractive errors in the study population. It will serve as the initial step for conducting community-based studies on the prevalence of refractive errors in this part of the country since such data are lacking from this region. Moreover, this study will help the primary care physicians to have an overview of the magnitude and pattern of refractive errors presenting to a health-care center as refractive error is an established and significant public health problem worldwide.http://www.jfmpc.com/article.asp?issn=2249-4863;year=2017;volume=6;issue=3;spage=543;epage=548;aulast=NatungAstigmatismhypermetropiamyopiarefractive errorsspherical equivalent |
| spellingShingle | Tanie Natung Trishna Taye Laura Amanda Lyngdoh Begonia Dkhar Ranendra Hajong Refractive errors among patients attending the ophthalmology department of a medical college in North-East India Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care Astigmatism hypermetropia myopia refractive errors spherical equivalent |
| title | Refractive errors among patients attending the ophthalmology department of a medical college in North-East India |
| title_full | Refractive errors among patients attending the ophthalmology department of a medical college in North-East India |
| title_fullStr | Refractive errors among patients attending the ophthalmology department of a medical college in North-East India |
| title_full_unstemmed | Refractive errors among patients attending the ophthalmology department of a medical college in North-East India |
| title_short | Refractive errors among patients attending the ophthalmology department of a medical college in North-East India |
| title_sort | refractive errors among patients attending the ophthalmology department of a medical college in north east india |
| topic | Astigmatism hypermetropia myopia refractive errors spherical equivalent |
| url | http://www.jfmpc.com/article.asp?issn=2249-4863;year=2017;volume=6;issue=3;spage=543;epage=548;aulast=Natung |
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