Amblyopia among Patients Attending the Outpatient Department of Ophthalmology of a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Autor: Sikshya Adhikari, Rinkal Suwal, Basanta Singh, Rashmi Shrestha, Sudip Karki, Bijay Khatri
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of Nepal Medical Association, Vol 60, Iss 254 (2022)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 0028-2715
1815-672X
DOI: 10.31729/jnma.7868
Popis: Introduction: Amblyopia is defined as a reduction in visual acuity unilaterally or bilaterally without any detectable cause. It is a major public health issue in developing and underdeveloped countries. Its prevalence is usually underestimated because of proper study and lack of awareness. The aim of the study was to find out the prevalence of amblyopia among patients attending the Outpatient Department of Ophthalmology of a tertiary care centre. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among outpatients visiting a tertiary care centre in the Outpatient Department of Ophthalmology between 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2019. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board (Registration number: 407/2020 P). All patients had gone through a comprehensive eye examination. Convenience sampling was used. Point estimate and 99% Confidence Interval were calculated. Results: Among 82972 patients, prevalence of amblyopia was 344 (0.41%) (0.37-0.46, 99% Confidence Interval). Amblyopia was more common in anisometropia 263 (63.50%). A total of 117 (34%) patients had no history of eye examination and were newly diagnosed with amblyopia. Astigmatism was the most common type of refractive error among 224 (56.70%) amblyopic patients. Conclusions: The prevalence of amblyopia was found to be lower than in previous studies conducted in similar settings. Early detection and diagnosis of amblyopia can help to design more effective plans and treatments to reduce amblyopia through optical correction and amblyopia therapy.
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