Regina de Souza Carvalho

Phacoemulsification versus extracapsular extraction: governmental costs

PURPOSE To evaluate the governmental costs of patients undergoing phacoemulsification and extracapsular cataract extraction at a public hospital in a developing country. METHODS A prospective study was conduced with 205 patients. The subjects were randomized for cataract surgery using either phacoemulsification or extracapsular cataract extraction techniques. RESULTS Of the 205 patients, 101 patients were submitted to phacoemulsificationand 104 patients were submitted to extracapsular cataract extraction. Brazilian Health Care System expenditures for the surgery and the postoperative period were US

Self-Medication: Initial Treatments Used by Patients Seen in an Ophthalmologic Emergency Room

95.49 more in the phacoemulsification group than in the extracapsular cataract extractiongroup. If we take into account Social Security expenditures, then we estimate that the average difference for the total direct cost for the government for the surgery and the postoperative period for both procedures was US

Social costs of two cataract surgical techniques in Brazil

50.91 or approximately half of the initial difference in cost for the phacoemulsification surgery. The total cost of cataract surgery for the government (excluding social security) was estimated at US

Custo social de duas técnicas de cirurgia de catarata no Brasil

258.79 for extracapsular cataract extraction and US

PATTERNS OF DETECTION AND OPTICAL CORRECTION AMONG OPHTHALMOLOGISTS

309.70 for phacoemulsification per patient. Focusing only on working patients, the total cost was US

Validity of recall absent schoolchildren to free eye health projects

342.21 for phacoemulsification and US

Costo social de dos técnicas de cirugía de catarata en Brasil

587.71 for extracapsular cataract extraction, a difference of US

Percepções de oftalmologistas referentes ao modelo de ensino aplicado a lentes de contato

245.50. This difference can be considered monetarily and socially justifiable when the benefits of the surgical technique are evaluated. CONCLUSION Under the conditions of this study, we observed that phacoemulsification was an efficient procedure with regard to the impact on public health care system, when all costs are assessed comprehensively, mainly for subjects with regular jobs.

Ophthalmology emergency room at the University of São Paulo General Hospital: a tertiary hospital providing primary and secondary level care

OJECTIVE This study seeks to identify practices of self-medication in the treatment of ocular emergencies. We examine patients’ use of both homemade preparations and manufactured products before seeking specialized care. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional analytic survey of consecutive patients seen in the ophthalmology emergency room of a teaching hospital. RESULTS The sample included 561 subjects, 51.3% males and 48.7% females, with a mean age of 39.8 years. Prior to seeking emergency care, 40.5% reported self-medicating; 29.4% used a homemade preparation (13.9% referred to an industrialized product like boric acid as a homemade preparation), and 11.1% used a manufactured product. The most frequently used products included a boric acid solution (53.3%), a normal saline solution (35.7%), herbal infusions (6.1%) and breast milk (4.8%). Viral conjunctivitis was the most frequent diagnosis (24.4%), followed by the presence of a corneal foreign body (7.4%). No significant differences were found in the self-treatment of ocular injuries according to gender (p = 0.95), level of education (p = 0.21) or age (p = 0.14). In addition, self-medication practices were not related to the medically judged severity of the condition. CONCLUSION Patients often attempt to treat conditions that require ophthalmologic emergency care by self-medicating with homemade or manufactured products. The most widely used products include boric acid, normal saline, leaf infusions and breast milk. This behavior occurs independently of educational level, gender, age or the nature of the ocular condition. Self-medication is a culturally driven practice that is used even in cases of acute ocular injuries.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita and geographical distribution of ophthalmologists in Brazil

OBJETIVO: Comparar os custos sociais pos-operatorios da cirurgia de catarata segundo as tecnicas de facoemulsificacao (Faco) e extracao extracapsular (EECP). METODOS: Estudo prospectivo, intervencionista e randomizado com 205 pacientes: 101 submetidos a Faco e 104 a EECP, no sistema publico em Sao Paulo, SP, em 2002. Para avaliacao do impacto socioeconomico dessas cirurgias, foi considerado o custo no periodo pos-operatorio para os pacientes, empregadores e Sistema Previdenciario. As comparacoes entre os grupos foram feitas pelo teste do qui-quadrado ou por Mann-Whitman, quando apropriado. O nivel de significância estabelecido foi de 5%. RESULTADOS: Considerando os gastos com os retornos hospitalares e aquisicao de lentes corretivas (oculos), o paciente submetido a Faco obteve uma economia media de US