Refraction services in a mission Tertiary Hospital in North-central Nigeria: A 5 years retrospective review

Abstract

Background: Globally, uncorrected refractive error (URE) is the leading cause of visual impairment. This condition can be treated simply through provision of eye examination and corrective spectacles. Hence, periodic evaluation is vital for safeguarding the quality and sustainability of refractive services.

Aim: To evaluate the refraction services at a mission Tertiary Hospital in Jos, between 2017 and 2021.

Materials and methods: Records of consecutive refractions and spectacles dispensed between January 2017 and December 2021 were reviewed. Data regarding age, gender, type of refractive error, number of spectacles dispensed and cost of spectacles for each year were retrieved from the records. The eye with the better vision was used to classify the patient’s refraction status. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 21.

Results: A total of 4904 refractions were performed within the five years under review.  Presbyopia co-existing with other forms of refractive errors was 1517 (30.9%) and presbyopia alone1252 (25.5%). Myopia was seen in 1206 cases (24.6%), astigmatism in 791 (16.1%) and hypermetropia in 138 (2.8%). The total number of spectacles dispensed was 4352 (88.7%) and 2731 (62.7%) cost less than N10,000 ($22.6). Type of refractive error was the only factor found to significantly influence the uptake of spectacles. The highest uptake was for presbyopia alone (91.4%), followed by compound astigmatism (89.2%) and  and the least being hypermetropia (84.1%).

Conclusion

The five-year review of refraction services revealed a steady rise in the total number of refractions performed with corresponding increase in uptake of spectacles.