title: Correctable visual impairment in stroke rehabilitation patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  after stroke, visual impairment may exacerbate the impact of other impairments on overall disability and negatively influence rehabilitation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  to examine the visual status of patients after stroke and determine whether this can be improved by simple interventions.
  
  
  METHODS
  prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  stroke rehabilitation unit in a Belfast teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  77 consecutive patients admitted for rehabilitation after acute stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  full optometric and ophthalmic assessment within 2 weeks of admission.
  
  
  RESULTS
  of 70 patients with glasses, 19 did not have their glasses in hospital before prompting and 18 had glasses in unacceptable condition. Twenty patients had impaired visual acuity (6/12 or worse) with existing glasses (if helpful); 11 of these improved to better than 6/12 with refractive correction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  stroke professionals need to enquire about patients' spectacles and assess their condition. Patients with reduced visual acuity in the absence of significant non-refractive disease should be referred to an optometrist: in this series 14% of patients had visual impairment which benefited from refractive correction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, UK.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Lotery
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Wiggam
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Refson
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Fullerton
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Gilmore
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Beringer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D014792:Visual Acuity