Document Type
Article
Department
Community Health Sciences
Abstract
Objective: To identify the causes of blindness at the Ida Rieu school for the blind and deaf, Karachi, Pakistan.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted at the Ida Rieu School for the blind and deaf. The data collected from medical record of students was entered into the WHO/PBL eye examination form for children with blindness and low vision.Results: Records of 144 pupils aged between 4-30 years were reviewed, including 67% males and 33% females. One third (31%) children had visual impairment (< 6/18-6/60) and 69% were blind (< 3/60-NPL). The commonest anatomical site was retina (41%) and whole globe (20%). The etiology was unknown in 49% cases. In 33% of cases, the data suggested hereditary cause as the etiology, 40% of cases were preventable and 13% treatable.CONCLUSION: Avoidable causes of blindness were seenin 53% of children, 58% of which were preventable and 19 were treatable.
Publication (Name of Journal)
Journal of Pakistan Medical Association
Recommended Citation
Khan, S. J.,
Hassan, A.,
Khalid, L.,
Karim, U.,
Hashmi, E.,
Gul, F.,
Jehan, I.
(2007). Blindness in children at the Ida Rieu school for the blind and deaf. Journal of Pakistan Medical Association, 57(7), 334-337.
Available at:
https://ecommons.aku.edu/pakistan_fhs_mc_chs_chs/664
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.