Epidemiología de las urgencias oftalmológicas atendidas en el Hospital General Docente «Mártires del 9 de abril» de Sagua La Grande

Ángel M. Aguiar-González, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas de Sagua La Grande, Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Villa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba
Liz Pérez-Carballido, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas de Sagua La Grande, Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Villa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba

Introduction: Ophthalmic emergencies are understood as an issue requiring immediate attention in a service specializing in ocular structures, since failing to do so can lead to severe sequelae, even compromising the eyeball. Objective: To characterize the epidemiology of ocular emergencies in patients treated at Hospital General Docente “Mártires del 9 de abril” of Sagua La Grande. Materials and methods: A descriptive and retrospective study was conducted, in which a data registration protocol for demographic and clinical data was applied to patients diagnosed with an ophthalmological emergency who attended the Ophthalmology Emergency Department (Cuerpo de Guardia) of Hospital General Docente “Mártires del 9 de abril”, between the months of November 2021 and June 2022. Results: A total of 789 patients met the selection criteria, and 52,3% came from rural areas. The majority of those affected were males (59%), and the most affected age group was 45 to 65 years old (24,3%). The eyelids were the most frequently damaged structures (24,3%), and non-traumatic emergencies prevailed in 44.6% of the cases. Conclusions: A prevalence of conditions that could be easily treated in Primary Care was observed. Among the emergencies, the anterior segment and the adnexa had the highest number of diagnoses; referrals to the Provincial Service represented a negligible percentage compared to the cases resolved at the hospital, which demonstrates the high capacity and quality of medical care provided by the professionals at the institution.

Palabras clave: Epidemiology. Ophthalmological emergencies. Ophthalmology. Eye injuries.