Ocular disease at lere local government outreach post in Kaduna state of Northern Nigeria

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the study was to analyse the ocular diseases that were seen at the an outreach post. Patients and methods: Data on 883 patients was collected from records of patients starting from January 2005 to August 2005 at the Saminaka outreach eye clinic. Information on age, sex occupation, visual acuity was analysed in addition to data on diagnosis of presenting condition after a full ocular examination. Results: Out of 883 patients seen, 397 (45 %) were female and 486 (55 %) were male. The patients seen consisted of 258 (29 %) children between the ages of 1 day to 14 years old. And adults made up 625 (70.7 %) of the patient population. The data for analysis of diagnosis was available for only 680(77 %) of the total patients seen within this period. Bacterial conjunctivitis was the most commonly occurring condition at (23.3%) of the total followed by cataracts constituting (16.3 %) of all diagnoses. This was closely followed by vernal and allergic conjunctivitis making up 11.6% and 11.3% respectively. Other conditions of note included refractive errors which made up 4.1% and consisted mainly of presbyopes with only two myopes, ophthalmia neonatorum (3.8%), keratitis 3.8% and blunt trauma making up 3.4%. Conclusion: Preventable and curable eye conditions were the main conditions found at the outreach post.