research

UK Trials Comments - North Wales

• 62% of residents have what could amount to visually significant cataract
• Only around a third of those detected with cataract were already known to eye services i.e. new patient pick up rate of 39%
• false negative rate sensitivity rate is likely to be somewhere between 96 and 100%. (sensitivity – specificity 96%)
• Catatrac device superior to direct ophthalmoscope for dense cataracts

The Developing World

The world has approximately 135 million people with impaired vision. 50% of the world blind suffer from cataract. 12-15 million new cases of cataract occur annually, there is a backlog of 20 million patients requiring cataract treatment. 1.4% of the population of Sub-Saharan Africa is blind, 50% of these cases have avoidable cataract; therefore 80% of global blindness is avoidable.

Ophthalmologists time is the rate limiting factor for screening and treatment; they spend too much time screening rather than treating

National Survey of Visual Impairment in Botswana

Decision to refer based on visual acuity less than 6/60

Agreement between catatrac and the gold standard was an ‘excellent’ 91.46%

‘The catatrac seems to be a good instrument for case finding subjects with cataract who need referral for surgery’

Neonatal screening - Brazil trial

Ophthalmologists time is the rate limiting factor for screening and treatment; they spend too much time screening rather than treating Cataract in infancy is an important preventable cause of visual impairment and blindness, surgical is needed within the first 3 months of life.

In the UK routine ocular examination is recommended for all infants at birth and at 6-8 weeks.

Almost half of the newly diagnosed have not been referred by 3 months.