Citation

Onakpoya O, Adegbehingbe BO, Adeoye AO, Adewara B. Afr. Health Sci. 2010; 10(1): 54-57.

Affiliation

Ophthalmology Unit, Department of Surgery, College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Faculty of Medicine, Makerere University)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

20811525

PMCID

PMC2895785

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Hospitalization for eye care is required for different reasons. The pattern of admissions into the ophthalmic wards of a sub-urban tertiary hospital was studied. METHODOLOGY: Records of patients admitted into the Ophthalmology wards of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex Ile-Ife from January 2004 to December 2007 were reviewed and the age, sex, duration of admission and diagnosis recorded. Data was analyzed with SPSS version 13 and statistical significance inferred at P<0.05. RESULTS: Of the 523 patients admitted, 60.2% were males while 39.8% were females (P<0.0001); the male preponderance becomes less prominent with increasing age (P=0.001). The duration of admission ranged between 2 and 24 days with a mean of 2.86+/- 1.95 days and 63% were admitted for 3 days. The main indications for admission were cataract (58.3%), ocular trauma (14.3%) and glaucoma (13.4%). Eye injuries were more common among children and young adults while cataract and glaucoma were the leading indications in the middle aged and elderly. CONCLUSION: Cataract, trauma and glaucoma were the leading indications for ophthalmic hospitalization. Human and infrastructural development of the ophthalmology unit should lay emphasis on the more prevalent needs to enhance effective and efficient management of these diseases.

Language: en