title: [Rapid assessment of avoidable blindness cataract in country Anyue in Sichuan Province].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the prevalence of cataract and measure the outcomes after cataract surgery in patients aged ≥ 50 years and to evaluate the validity of Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 76 clusters of 50 patients aged ≥ 50 years were selected through probability proportionate to size sampling. The measurements of visual acuity (VA) were made with a tumbling-E chart and the diagnosis of the principal cause of visual impairment by an ophthalmologist.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 3288 patients were examined with a response rate of 86.5%. There were 271 males (38.7%) and 2017 females (61.3%). Among 832 cataract patients, 175 (5.3%) had blindness due to cataract. The prevalence of cataract was 9.2%, 25.2%, 47.6%, 70.1% in 50, 60, 70, 80 years old respectively. And 109 eyes underwent cataract surgery. Among 88 pseudophakic eyes (80.7%), 59 eyes achieved excellent outcomes (VA ≥ 0.3) after surgery (54.1%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The major cause of blindness in Anyue is due to cataract. Attention needs to be paid to improving outcomes after surgery. RAAB provides information about the magnitude and cause of avoidable blindness so that it may be used for planning and monitoring cataract.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Sichuan Academy Medical Science and Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China.
authors.forename: Chun-tao
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Sichuan Academy Medical Science and Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China.
authors.forename: Li-feng
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Sichuan Academy Medical Science and Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China. Email: hblct@163.com.
authors.forename: Ying-chuan
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Sichuan Academy Medical Science and Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China.
authors.forename: Wen-tao
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Dong
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D002386:Cataract / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D016896:Treatment Outcome