Characteristic of low vision patients attending an eye hospital in eastern region of Nepal

Characteristics of Visual Impairment and the Impact of Low Vision Assessment in a Tertiary Academic Hospital in Jordan

PURPOSE

This project aims to describe the characteristics of patients with visual impairment referred from a tertiary academic hospital in Jordan for a comprehensive low vision evaluation and to study its impact on their functional needs.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of the records of 108 patients from the ophthalmology clinic at Jordan University Hospital over the period from January 2014 to December 2018 was performed. Gathered information included age, gender, clinical diagnosis, family history of ocular disease, and type of low vision aid prescribed and its impact on patients' functional needs.

RESULTS

The mean age was 44.64 years (range 4-88). Most participants were in the 19-60 years age group (50.0%). Fifty percent of the participants were the offspring of consanguineous marriages. The main cause of visual impairment in this cohort was retinitis pigmentosa, followed by diabetic retinopathy. The majority of low vision aids were prescribed for near distance tasks, and reading spectacles were the most prescribed visual aid. Eighty-nine percent of patients reported functional improvement and retained their visual aids upon follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Retinitis pigmentosa was the main cause of visual impairment in this cohort of patients referred from a tertiary academic hospital for low vision assessment. We report a consanguinity rate of 50%. The overwhelming majority of patients reported functional improvement and retained their visual aids upon follow-up. Awareness and integration of low vision services into a multidisciplinary approach and improving referral protocols is essential to better address the needs of patients with visual impairment. Familial counselling regarding consanguineous marriages and emerging research to treat inherited retinal diseases should be pursued.

Clinical characteristics and causes of visual impairment in a low vision clinic in northern Jordan

Aim

The aim of the study was to identify causes of visual impairment among patients attending a low vision clinic in the north of Jordan and to study the relevant demographic characteristics of these patients.

Subjects and methods

The retrospective study was conducted through a review of clinical records of 135 patients who attended a low vision clinic in Irbid. Clinical characteristics of the patients were collected, including age, gender, primary cause of low vision, best corrected visual acuity, and current prescribed low vision aids. Descriptive statistics analysis using numbers and percentages were calculated to summarize categorical and nominal data.

Results

A total of 135 patients (61 [45.2%] females and 74 [54.8%] males) were recruited in the study. Mean age ± standard deviation for the study population was 24.53 ± 16.245 years; age range was 5–90 years. Of the study population, 26 patients (19.3%) had mild visual impairment, 61 patients (45.2%) had moderate visual impairment, 27 patients (20.0%) had severe visual impairment, and 21 patients (15.6%) were blind. The leading causes of visual impairment across all age groups were albinism (31.9%) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP) (18.5%). Albinism also accounted for the leading cause of visual impairment among the pediatric age group (0–15 years) while albinism, RP, and keratoconus were the primary causes of visual impairment for older patients. A total of 59 patients (43.7%) were given low vision aids either for near or distance. The only prescribed low vision aids for distances were telescopes. For near, spectacle-type low vision aid was the most commonly prescribed low vision aids.

Conclusion

Low vision services in Jordan are still very limited. A national strategy programme to increase awareness of low vision services should be implemented, and health care policies should be enforced to cover low vision aids through the national medical insurance.