Abstract
INTRODUCTION
Diabetes Mellitus ( is one of the most common non communicable diseases and according
to the WHO records, this affected 425 million people of the world in the year 2017. Twelve million DM patients were found in Sri Lanka in 2017. The prevalence of the DM measured as 9.9 among the population in Sri Lanka. Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is a most common micro vascular complication that can lead to sight loss Early screening, diagnosis and appropriate treatment will reduce the blindness and visual impairment in the diabetic population.
DIGITAL RETINAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Digital retinal photography using a static table top camera is the method that we use at UH KDU for DR screening This is a well established modality in high income countries and in a few low and middle income countries. All DM walk in patients and DR referrals from medical clinics are seen at the eye clinic Properly trained nurses and optometrist take a 7 field montage posterior pole images of the fundus This process takes approximately 10 minutes of patients’ time Later, those stored images are read and assessed by a trained medical officer, and grade according to the ETDRS (expand the abbreviation) protocol Only patients who have advanced DR or maculopathy or if their images cannot be assessed will be seen physically by the consultant at the eye clinic Other patients will be advised by the nursing officer (NO) about the next clinic review date.
RESULTS
We have audited the 5 months clinic visits from the 1 st of January. We examined 2271
patients and screened 554 (24.39%) DM patients, 101 (18.23%) DM patients had a media opacity (eg cataract) in at least one eye 453 (81.77%) DM patients successfully imaged.
Conclusion:
Only 6% of patients need to refer to the eye clinic reducing the workload. There for more than 94% of patients could screen by using digital retinal imaging. This is a convenient method for the service user as well as the provider.
Diabetes Mellitus ( is one of the most common non communicable diseases and according
to the WHO records, this affected 425 million people of the world in the year 2017. Twelve million DM patients were found in Sri Lanka in 2017. The prevalence of the DM measured as 9.9 among the population in Sri Lanka. Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is a most common micro vascular complication that can lead to sight loss Early screening, diagnosis and appropriate treatment will reduce the blindness and visual impairment in the diabetic population.
DIGITAL RETINAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Digital retinal photography using a static table top camera is the method that we use at UH KDU for DR screening This is a well established modality in high income countries and in a few low and middle income countries. All DM walk in patients and DR referrals from medical clinics are seen at the eye clinic Properly trained nurses and optometrist take a 7 field montage posterior pole images of the fundus This process takes approximately 10 minutes of patients’ time Later, those stored images are read and assessed by a trained medical officer, and grade according to the ETDRS (expand the abbreviation) protocol Only patients who have advanced DR or maculopathy or if their images cannot be assessed will be seen physically by the consultant at the eye clinic Other patients will be advised by the nursing officer (NO) about the next clinic review date.
RESULTS
We have audited the 5 months clinic visits from the 1 st of January. We examined 2271
patients and screened 554 (24.39%) DM patients, 101 (18.23%) DM patients had a media opacity (eg cataract) in at least one eye 453 (81.77%) DM patients successfully imaged.
Conclusion:
Only 6% of patients need to refer to the eye clinic reducing the workload. There for more than 94% of patients could screen by using digital retinal imaging. This is a convenient method for the service user as well as the provider.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Accepted - 25 Sep 2020 |
| Event | Annual Scientific Sessions of the Sri Lanka College of Ophthalmologists - Sri Lanka - Colombo , Colombo , Sri Lanka Duration: 25 Sep 2020 → … |
Conference
| Conference | Annual Scientific Sessions of the Sri Lanka College of Ophthalmologists - Sri Lanka |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Sri Lanka |
| City | Colombo |
| Period | 25/09/2020 → … |
