Journal français d'ophtalmologie
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Observational Study
Teleconsultation in primary ophthalmic emergencies during the COVID-19 lockdown in Paris: Experience with 500 patients in March and April 2020.
This prospective observational cohort study is based on the first 500 patients who requested emergency teleconsultation during the initial days of the COVID-19 lockdown in Paris, France between 20 March and 10 April 2020. It is the first study to assess the utility of emergency teleophthalmology with a simple smartphone application or web browser and a webcam to manage emergency eye care in a population with sudden restricted access to ophthalmologists. In this study, every patient who asked for an ophthalmic emergency consultation in a single specialized center in Paris ('SOS Œil') first had to undergo a teleconsultation appointment to evaluate the indication for a physical consultation to preserve lockdown. ⋯ There was a 96% sensitivity and 95% specificity to properly evaluate the indication of a physical consultation and only 1.0% misdiagnoses that lead to delayed care. Hence, teleconsultation maintained satisfactory healthcare access to patients with severe ophthalmological disorders while preserving social distancing and sanitary precautions. Therefore, teleconsultation may be seriously considered as a way to efficiently regulate ophthalmic emergencies, especially for patients with limited access to a specialist.
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Childhood ocular trauma is a preventable cause of visual impairment and blindness worldwide. The purpose of our study was to determine demographic, etiologic, and clinical characteristics, visual outcome, and factors affecting visual prognosis in children with open globe injuries (OGI) and to analyze the predictive value of ocular trauma scoring systems for OGI in children. ⋯ OGI's in children occurs most frequently in school-age boys. Prognosis is determined by presenting visual acuity, trauma score, and wound severity and location.