[Is the flashlight test of any use in primary care for detecting eyes with shallow anterior chamber?].
OBJECTIVE
To validate and analyse the usefulness of the flashlight test (FT) in detecting eyes with a shallow anterior chamber in diabetic patients in primary care.


METHODS
Cross-sectional descriptive study.


METHODS
Urban health centre and a reference ophthalmology department, Logroño, Spain.


METHODS
A total of 74 patients with diabetes type 2, selected by consecutive sampling from those seen for an annual check-up. Those patients with movement difficulties, diseases and lesions of the eye, which would hamper the examination, were excluded. A total of 145 eyes were analysed.


METHODS
A family doctor and the resident performed the FT. The ophthalmologist carried out the Van Herick test without knowing the results of the FT.


METHODS
Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and positive and negative likelihood ratios were calculated. The reproducibility was calculated using weighted kappa index.


RESULTS
The kappa index was 75%. The specificity was 88.9% and the sensitivity was 98.9% (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 96.1-100.0%). The likelihood that a patient had a negative result could have an angle with a risk of developing glaucoma was 1.1%. The negative likelihood ratio (NLR) was 0.67%. One patient was incorrectly labelled as not having a narrow angle.


CONCLUSIONS
The FT is valid and useful for ruling out shallow anterior chamber in type 2 diabetics. It is a simple and innocuous test that can help the family doctor make a decision on pharmacological mydriasis to observe the back of the eye.
Centro de Salud Gonzalo de Berceo, Logroño, España. antoniotrueba@eresmas.net
Antonio
A
Trueba Castillo
Luis Javier
LJ
Negredo Bravo
Cristina
C
Cárdenas Valencia
María Josefa
MJ
Gil de Gómez Barragán
Rosa Ana
RA
Arribas García
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000473:pathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000175:diagnosis; D003941:Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*