Browsing by Subject "ophthalmology"

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    Primary health eye care knowledge among general practitioners working in the Cape Town Metropole
    (South African Academy of Family Practice, 2011) Van Zyl, L; Fernandes, N; Rogers, G; Du Toit, N
    Aim: The main purpose of this study was to determine whether general practitioners (GPs) in the Cape Town metropole have sufficient knowledge to diagnose and treat primary care ophthalmic conditions correctly, and to assess their own perceptions of their levels of knowledge. Secondary objectives included identifying the need for courses to improve the ophthalmic knowledge of GPs and assessing whether there is a need to revise the undergraduate curriculum in ophthalmology in general. Method: A cross-sectional survey was done. A questionnaire of 10 primary care level ophthalmology questions, including a self-assessment section, was sent to each of 140 randomly chosen GPs in Cape Town. Results: A response rate of 79.2% was obtained. Respondents included graduates from all eight medical schools in South Africa. Most of the responding GPs were practising for more than 10 years (78.2%). The mean test score was 52.5% (standard deviation [SD]: 22.2). The mean self-rating was 51.9% (SD: 14.5). There was no statistically significant difference between the test score and the self-rating score (p = 0.5840). Responding GPs felt that there is a need for ophthalmology up-skilling courses and 99.9% of them would attend such courses. Also, 82% of GPs felt that primary care doctors, not optometrists, should deliver primary eye care. Conclusion: GPs appear to lack sufficient knowledge to manage primary health eye care problems, presumably due to a lack of adequate training in the field. Clinical up-skilling courses are needed to improve core knowledge in ophthalmology.
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    Open Access
    Primary health eye care knowledge among general practitioners working in the Cape Town Metropole
    (2011) Van Zyl, L M; Fernandes, N; Rogers, G; Du Toit, N
    Aim: The main purpose of this study was to determine whether general practitioners (GPs) in the Cape Town metropole have sufficient knowledge to diagnose and treat primary care ophthalmic conditions correctly, and to assess their own perceptions of their levels of knowledge. Secondary objectives included identifying the need for courses to improve the ophthalmic knowledge of GPs and assessing whether there is a need to revise the undergraduate curriculum in ophthalmology in general. Method: A cross-sectional survey was done. A questionnaire of 10 primary care level ophthalmology questions, including a self-assessment section, was sent to each of 140 randomly chosen GPs in Cape Town. Results: A response rate of 79.2% was obtained. Respondents included graduates from all eight medical schools in South Africa. Most of the responding GPs were practising for more than 10 years (78.2%). The mean test score was 52.5% (standard deviation [SD]: 22.2). The mean self-rating was 51.9% (SD: 14.5). There was no statistically significant difference between the test score and the self-rating score (p = 0.5840). Responding GPs felt that there is a need for ophthalmology up-skilling courses and 99.9% of them would attend such courses. Also, 82% of GPs felt that primary care doctors, not optometrists, should deliver primary eye care. Conclusion: GPs appear to lack sufficient knowledge to manage primary health eye care problems, presumably due to a lack of adequate training in the field. Clinical up-skilling courses are needed to improve core knowledge in ophthalmology.
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    Open Access
    Sutured posterior chamber intraocular lenses for traumatic cataract in Africa
    (2013) Rogers, Graeme J; Cook, Colin D
    Ocular trauma is common in low-income countries. Groote Schuur Hospital manages large numbers of patients with the manifestations of ocular trauma every year. The lens and its supporting structures, major refractive components of the eye, may be damaged in more than half of cases of severe trauma. Despite this, there is still some doubt as which is the best modality for the most successful rehabilitation of patients who have such severe lens damage as to necessitate its removal along with the capsule in which it is contained. lntraocular lenses sutured to the sclera in the posterior chamber of the eye (SL TC - Sutured lenses for traumatic cataract) - in the natural position of the crystalline lens - is standard practice at Groote Schuur Hospital in selected patients. It is a difficult and intricate procedure, usually only performed by consultants experienced in the technique. The majority of patients who undergo ocular trauma are young, necessitating rapid and effective optical rehabilitation to maximise productivity and quality of life. The use of contact lenses in aphakic, previously traumatised eyes may be the least invasive modality but is not appropriate in all cases. Anterior chamber lenses, especially the older versions with closed loop haptics, have been associated with numerous complications despite being significantly easier to implant'. Numerous other options such as Iris claw fixated lenses, intraocular lenses sutured to the Iris and tissue techniques for the fixation of posterior chamber intraocular lenses have not been used to date at Groote Schuur Hospitar4. Habit and anecdote regarding the dangers of anterior chamber intraocular lenses in patients with presumed co-existing angle trauma has precluded the use of these anterior chamber lenses in patients known to have had trauma. A marker for such trauma, angle recession, may be found in up to 15% of patients in certain parts of the drainage area of our hospital. The selection of patients for SL TC has not been standardized and there may be some difficulty in prognosticating visual outcome in these patients without large series that pertain directly to those eyes that have sustained trauma
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    TEDI 3 Week 1 - Understanding Visual Impairment
    (2019-06-01) van Rensburg, Julia Janse
    In this video, Julia Janse van Rensburg, an ophthalmologist with a special interest in pediatric eye problems, discusses how learners with visual impairment experience the classroom. She discusses some of the common causes of low vision in learning, exploring the physical structure of the eye and the problems that can affect the eye and it's ability to see. She further discusses some diseases and inheritable conditions that an affect vision. She discusses some characteristics teachers can use to identify students who might have visual difficulties, and when a medical specialist should be consulted.