Self-medication: initial treatments used by patients seen in an ophthalmologic emergency room.
OBJECTIVE
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.


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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Carvalho
Regina Souza
RS
Ophthalmology Department, Hospital das Clinicas da Fauldade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo/SP, Brazil. regina-sc@uol.com.br
Kara-José
Newton
N
Temporini
Edméa Rita
ER
Kara-Junior
Newton
N
Noma-Campos
Regina
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001888:Boric Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003236:Conjunctivitis, Viral / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005129:Eye Foreign Bodies / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006701:Home Nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008895:Milk, Human; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000145:classification / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009885:Ophthalmology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012651:Self Medication / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
D001888:Boric Acids; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012965:Sodium Chloride; C032688:boric acid
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