[Usefulness of a glaucoma and ocular hypertension screening strategy in primary care].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the usefulness of a glaucoma and intraocular hypertension screening strategy for new cases detected. To evaluate the acceptability of taking intra-ocular pressure (IOP) and the appearance of side effects.


METHODS
Cross-sectional, descriptive study.


METHODS
An urban health centre and the ophthalmology clinic of its main hospital.


METHODS
A total of 2044 patients aged over 40, 63.5% women and 36.5% men, with a mean age of 61.23 (SD, 11.42). They were selected by consecutive sampling from patients who visited the health centre over a 9-month period. Subjects diagnosed with glaucoma, ocular hypertension (OH), conjunctivitis, or corneal pathology were excluded.


METHODS
Taking of IOP with Tonopen XL in primary care. Subjects with IOP > or = 21 mm Hg were referred to ophthalmology. In these patients, IOP was measured with Goldmann, and patients with confirmed OH received ophthalmoscopy and campimetry.


METHODS
Percentage of subjects with glaucoma, suspected glaucoma, and OH confirmed in ophthalmology. Positive predictive value (PPV) for OH.


RESULTS
One hundred subjects with OH were detected (4.89%; 95% CI, 3.93%-5.85%), of whom 21 were diagnosed with glaucoma (1.04%; 95% CI, 0.57-1.49) and 10 with suspected glaucoma (0.49%; 95% CI, 0.16-0.82). The PPV for OH was 44.27%. The acceptability of the test was 98.09%. No patients presented with side-effects following the taking of their IOP.


CONCLUSIONS
The strategy evaluated is useful in terms of the number of subjects with glaucoma and OH detected. The acceptability of taking IOP with Tonopen XL was high.
García de Blas González
Francisca
F
Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria Equipo de Atención Primaria Dr Mendiguchía Carriche, Leganés, Servicio Madrileño de Salud, Area 9, Madrid, Spain. fgarciadeblas@medynet.com
Barajas Gutiérrez
Miguel Angel
MA
Beneyto Martín
Pedro
P
Del Cura González
María Isabel
MI
Sanz Cuesta
Teresa
T
Vello Cuadrado
Rocío
R
Salvador Armendáriz
Carmela
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D009798:Ocular Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011320:Primary Health Care