ATTENDANCE OF CONTACT-LENS WEARERS AT AN OPHTHALMIC ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY UNIT

Contact lens (CL) complications account for 2.2-10.0% of patients atte nding ophthalmic Accident and Emergency (A&E) units, A survey was cond ucted to evaluate disease severity among CL wearers attending the Oxfo rd Eye Hospital A&E Unit, CL wearers without a medical indication for CL wear completed a short questionnaire eliciting CL type and wear sch edule. Subsequently, A&E Senior House Officers indicated the diagnosis and whether; in their opinion, the patient could have been managed by their optometrist or contact lens practitioner, Approximately half of the CL wearers (321/653, 49%) presented with CL related disorders, bu t only 16% (53/321) of these had potentially sight-threatening disease , More than a third of these patients were deemed to be inappropriatel y attending (125/321, 39%), presenting with minor problems such as cor neal abrasions, CL handling difficulties and CL solution 'accidents', Better patient instruction, together with encouragement to consult the ir optometrist or contact lens practitioner first if problems occur, w ould greatly reduce the burden of A&E attendance by CL wearers with mi nor complaints. (C) 1998 The College of Optometrists. Published by Els evier Science Ltd.