Guardiola Dávila Gabriel, López-Fontanet José J, Ramos Fabiola, Acevedo Monsanto Michael A
Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PRI.
Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, USA.
Cureus. 2023 Oct 15;15(10):e47070. doi: 10.7759/cureus.47070. eCollection 2023 Oct.
In this critical analysis, we investigate the profound impact of natural disasters and pandemics on the care and adherence to treating diabetic retinopathy, a severe complication of diabetes requiring continuous monitoring and treatment to prevent vision loss. Our study also sheds light on the social and economic context of Puerto Rico, emphasizing recent emergency events that have exacerbated existing public health challenges. Through a comprehensive review of relevant literature from PubMed, Google Scholar, and the George Washington University Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library database, we identified 31 pertinent articles out of 45 evaluated, focusing on the effects of these crises on healthcare delivery, diabetic retinopathy screening, and treatment. The evidence strongly indicates that during such emergencies, barriers to healthcare escalate, leading to significant treatment delays and a reduction in diabetic retinopathy screening and diagnosis, ultimately resulting in deteriorated visual outcomes. Thus, our review underscores the urgent need for the development of effective emergency plans tailored specifically to diabetic retinopathy, particularly in Puerto Rico, where diabetes prevalence and its complications are notably higher. Such plans should not only incorporate established emergency measures but also harness emerging technological advances in the field of ophthalmology to ensure optimal preparedness for future pandemics and natural disasters.
在本批判性分析中，我们研究自然灾害和大流行对糖尿病视网膜病变治疗及依从性的深远影响，糖尿病视网膜病变是糖尿病的一种严重并发症，需要持续监测和治疗以防止视力丧失。我们的研究还揭示了波多黎各的社会和经济背景，强调了近期加剧现有公共卫生挑战的紧急事件。通过全面回顾来自PubMed、谷歌学术和乔治华盛顿大学希姆尔法布健康科学图书馆数据库的相关文献，我们从45篇评估文章中确定了31篇相关文章，重点关注这些危机对医疗服务、糖尿病视网膜病变筛查和治疗的影响。证据有力地表明，在这类紧急情况期间，医疗保健障碍加剧，导致治疗显著延迟以及糖尿病视网膜病变筛查和诊断减少，最终导致视力结果恶化。因此，我们的综述强调迫切需要制定专门针对糖尿病视网膜病变的有效应急计划，特别是在糖尿病患病率及其并发症明显更高的波多黎各。此类计划不仅应纳入既定的应急措施，还应利用眼科领域的新兴技术进步，以确保为未来的大流行和自然灾害做好最佳准备。
