Prevalence and severity of diabetic retinopathy in patients attending the endocrinology diabetes clinic at Mulago Hospital in Uganda. -Is this a quantitative or qualitative research article?
Responses to classmates must consist of at least 271 words (not including the greeting and the references), do NOT repeat the same thing your classmate is saying, try to add something of value like a resource, educational information to give to patients, possible bad outcomes associated with the medicines discussed in the case, try to include a sample case you’ve seen at work and discuss how you feel about how that case was handled. Try to use supportive information such as current Tx guidelines, current research related to the treatment, anything that will enhance learning in the online classroom. I chose this article this week, https://www.clinicalkey.com/#!/content/playContent/1-s2.0-S0168822719302566?returnurl=https:%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0168822719302566%3Fshowall%3Dtrue&referrer=, Prevalence and severity of diabetic retinopathy in patients attending the endocrinology diabetes clinic at Mulago Hospital in Uganda. -Is this a quantitative or qualitative research article? This article was quantitative. -What are the problem and purpose of the research article? The epidemiology for diabetic retinopathy (DR) has been well described in the western population. Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have attempted to identify the prevalence of diabetic eye disease, however, there still remains a degree of paucity across the continent due to inadequacy in health system organisations and resource poor settings. We aimed to identify the severity and prevalence of DR and maculopathy of patients attending the diabetes clinic at Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda. -What methods of data analysis were used? A cross-sectional observational study of 44 patients who attended a diabetes clinic at Mulago Hospital in April 2016. Parameters measured included visual acuity (VA) using a Snellen chart, blood glucose (mmol/l) and blood pressure (mmHg). Screening for DR grading was carried out with indirect fundoscopy and retinal photograph. Only the highest graded eye of retinopathy of each patient was included. An observational cross-sectional study was carried out involving 44 patients who attended the DM clinic at Mulago Hospital in April 2016. Mulago Hospital is the major tertiary referral centre in Kampala, Uganda. All patients had a confirmed diagnosis of DM for which they were on treatment. For all patients attending this clinic informed consent was taken prior to data collection and screening. The study participants were interviewed and the information was recorded using a pre-designed standard questionnaire. Parameters measured by the clinic healthcare staff included random blood glucose (mmmol/l) and blood pressure (mmHg). Visual acuity was assessed best corrected where appropriate using a Snellen vision chart at a distance of 6 m. Intraocular pressure (mmHg) was measured in each patient using an Icare TA01i tonometer machine (Icare, Finland). Both eyes were then dilated using Guttae tropicamide 1% and Guttae phenylephrine 2.5%. -Were they appropriate to the design and hypotheses? Yes, the study was appropriate for the design and hypothesis. -What results were obtained from data analysis? Is sufficient information given to interpret the results of data analysis? A total of 87 eyes from 44 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of DM were screened. Of these 41 eyes from 41 patients were included in the study. Three patients were excluded overall due to significant cataract obscuring the fundal view. One patient was able to have only one eye screened, due to a prior evisceration, and therefore it was this eye that was included. Demographics of included patients are shown in. Snellen visual acuities were categorized as per WHO definitions. Of the eyes where vision was worse than 6/18, 60% of these eyes reduced vision was explained by another ocular co-morbidity other than DR, such as cataract.
