Ocular Morbidities in a Tertiary Hospital in Southwest Nigeria: Pattern and Visual Impact.

International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) | Volume VIII, Issue VIII, August 2021 | ISSN 2321–2705

Ocular Morbidities in a Tertiary Hospital in Southwest Nigeria: Pattern and Visual Impact.

Omodele O.A Jagun¹*, Merry Godwin¹, Anthony Betiku¹, Ubong Fingesi¹, Olushola S Olajide¹.
¹Ophthalmology Unit, Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Ilishan-Remo. Ogun State, Nigeria.
*Corresponding author

Abstract: Ocular mobidities cause vision impairment with varing impact on the vision and quality of life of patients. This study aims to determine the pattern of eye diseases and its visual implication in patients as a means to reduce the burden of visual impairment and blindness. A retrospective study of 700 participants with 259 (37.0%) males and 441 (63%) females. The age range of the participants was between 3 to 88 years [average = 40.21±23.78 years]. Participants within the 16-30 years age group were the most prevalent (30.2%).
Refractive errors were the most prevalent [49.7%] ocular morbidities , followed by Conjuctivitis (14.2%), Cataracts (10.2%), Glaucoma (8.7%) and Pseudophakia/Aphakia (4.2%). Of those with conjunctivitis, Allergy accounted for 69.5% (89 participants). There was a 69% improvement in vision after treatment amongst those with mild and moderate visual impairment, while those that were blind also improved by 16.9% after treatment. The most prevalent ocular morbidities seen in this study were similar to those reported in previous African studies and prompt treatment of these conditions remarkable reduced the prevalence of visual impairment and blindness.

Keywords: Ocular, Morbidities, Visual, Impact, Nigeria.

I.INTRODUCTION

Ocular morbidity is a frequent cause of hospital presentation worldwide and its global pattern is influenced by racial, geographic, socioeconomic, and cultural factors [1]. Nutritional factors and ocular infections are more prevalent in developing countries, while hereditary factors, developmental disease, and the consequences of prematurity are more prevalent causes in countries with better standards of living and health care services [1].
Ocular mobidities cause vision impairment (VI) and the World Health Organization (WHO) statistics conducted in 2020 noted that the global prevalence of VI ( distant and near) was about 1 billion [2]. The global distant VI were mainly due to refractive error (123.7 million), Cataract (65.2 million), Glaucoma (6.9 million), Corneal opacity (4.2 million), Diabetic retinopathy (3 million), Trachoma (2 million) while near VI was caused by unaddressed Presbyopia (826 million)[2]. Eighty percent of these ocular mobidities were also noted to be either preventable, treatable or curable causes of VI[1]. Distant VI can be measured with the Snellen’s chart and has been categorized into Mild (6/12-6/18), Moderate (6/18-6/60), Severe (6/60-3/60) and blindness (worse than 3/60) according to ICD 11[2].

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