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Sociodemographic aspects and systemic diseases of cataract patients
Author(s) -
Lumme Pirkko,
Laatikainen Leila
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-3768.1994.tb02742.x
Subject(s) - medicine , cataract surgery , visual acuity , blindness , low vision , diabetes mellitus , impaired vision , population , optometry , ophthalmology , pediatrics , environmental health , endocrinology
. Sociodemographic analysis of 351 consecutive cataract patients operated on at the Oulu University Hospital in 1990 revealed that 30.0% of the patients lived alone at home, 62.1% lived with some other person and 7.9% were in institutions. The mean age was 70.6 ± 12.4 years, the sex distribution (62.7% women, 37.3% men) corresponded with that in the general population of the same age. 78.8% of the patients had had surgery on the first eye, 29.0% of them had low vision or blindness (visual acuity less than 0.3 in the better eye). In the second eye surgery group (21.2% of the patients) low vision or blindness was found in 13.0%. Low vision was more common in institutionalized patients and in those with restricted mobility. In 80.9% of the operated eyes and in 41.5% of the fellow eyes the visual acuity was less than 0.3. 76.6% of the patients had medication for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, asthma or mental disorders. Based on this survey the demand for cataract surgery is expected to increase in coming years. The majority would be suitable for day case surgery, but for patients living alone, having restricted mobility, poor general health, poor vision in the fellow eye or long distance to the hospital, hospitalization still seems to be a better alternative.