Bucher P J, Ijsselmuiden C B
Department of Ophthalmology, Elim Hospital, South Africa.
Br J Ophthalmol. 1988 Oct;72(10):721-6. doi: 10.1136/bjo.72.10.721.
During November 1985 a survey was carried out to determine the prevalence and causes of blindness in the Elim Hospital district of Gazankulu in the Northern Transvaal, South Africa, and to assess the Eye Department's effectiveness in preventing blindness. Using a random cluster sample technique, we screened 18,962 of the estimated 71,200 inhabitants of the district (26.6%). We found 109 blind people. The prevalence of blindness was 0.57% (95% confidence interval 0.46%-0.68%). The main causes of blindness were senile cataract (55%), corneal scarring due to trachoma (10%), uncorrected aphakia (9%), and open-angle glaucoma (6%). There were 14 aphakic blind persons who did not have aphakia glasses (43% of all persons operated on for cataract). Women had a significantly higher prevalence of blindness than men. After the age of 60 years the prevalence of blindness increased sharply. Women were 1.6 times less likely to have undergone cataract surgery than men. The two most effective steps to reduce the prevalence of blindness in the Elim district further are to provide aphakia glasses to all aphakic patients and to improve the accessibility of the Eye Department's surgical services.
1985年11月，在南非北德兰士瓦省加赞库卢的埃利姆医院辖区开展了一项调查，以确定失明的患病率和病因，并评估眼科在预防失明方面的成效。我们采用随机整群抽样技术，对该辖区估计71,200名居民中的18,962人进行了筛查（筛查率为26.6%）。我们发现了109名盲人。失明患病率为0.57%（95%置信区间为0.46%-0.68%）。失明的主要原因是老年性白内障（55%）、沙眼导致的角膜瘢痕（10%）、未矫正的无晶状体眼（9%）和开角型青光眼（6%）。有14名无晶状体眼盲人没有佩戴无晶状体眼镜（占所有接受白内障手术患者的43%）。女性失明患病率显著高于男性。60岁以后，失明患病率急剧上升。女性接受白内障手术的可能性比男性低1.6倍。进一步降低埃利姆地区失明患病率的两个最有效措施是为所有无晶状体眼患者提供无晶状体眼镜，并提高眼科手术服务的可及性。
