External eye infections and personal hygiene practices among patients attending optometry teaching Clinic Federal University of Technology, Owerri

External eye infections occur when harmful microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, protozoan and viruses invade any part of the anterior outer part of the eyeball. This study was carried out to between January 2016 and December 2016 to investigate the external eye infections and personal hygiene practices among patients attending Optometry Teaching Clinic at Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria. A total of 217 patients with external eye infections who came to the clinic during this period were used for this study. A well-structured questionnaire was used to obtain information on their personal hygiene practices. Swabs collected from the infected eyes were taken to the laboratory for isolation and identification of causative organisms. Ocular examination results showed that bacterial conjunctivitis was the most prevalent external eye infection and was seen in146 (67.28%) patients. Information on hygiene practices showed that 29 (13.36%) of the patients wash their hands with soap and water before eating and 42 (19.35%) wash their hands with soap and water after toilet use. Laboratory results showed that the major causative organism was Staphylococcus aureus, isolated in 91 (41.94%) samples. Statistical analysis showed that there was no significant difference in both the gender variations (P > 0.05) and age variations (P > 0.05) of pathogenic organisms implicated in the external eye infections. Optometrists should educate their patients on the need for good personal hygiene as this will help in preventing external eye infections which can occur from contaminated fingers that come in contact with the eyes.Keywords: External eye infections, Personal hygiene, Microorganisms, Hand washin

Assessment of foveal and extra-foveal photostress recovery time in primary open angle glaucoma

Photostress recovery time (PSRT) is a clinical procedure that measures the amount of time required for the macular to return to its normal level of function after being exposed to a bright light source. This study was a case control clinical study carried out to measure the foveal and extra-foveal photo stress recovery time in participants with primary open angle glaucoma. Fifty five subjects, 24 with primary open angle glaucoma with a mean age of 34.38±12.19 and 31 control subjects with a mean age of 26.58±7.23 were used in this study. The mean photostress recovery time measured on the fovea, 7o nasal, temporal, inferior and superior to the fovea were, 62.38±4.67, 8.71±7.19, 11.23±10.96, 12.08±8.96 and 12.44±9.30 respectively for subjects with primary open angle glaucoma. For the control subjects, the mean photostress recovery time measured on the fovea, 7o nasal, temporal, inferior and superior to the fovea were 23.29±1.63 11.89±8.62, 11.53±8.19, 12.89±8.67 and 13.60±8.36 respectively. Analysis with SPSS version 21 using the two factor ANOVA showed a significant difference (P<0.05) in photostress recovery time 7o nasally, temporally, inferiorly and superior to the fovea between primary open angle glaucoma subjects and a control group. Data analysis with the independent sample t-test also showed a significant difference (P<0.05) in photostress recovery time on the fovea between primary open angle glaucoma subjects and a control group. In conclusion, primary open angle glaucoma alters the photostress recovery time, both on the fovea and extra-foveal region of the retina. Photostress recovery test should be included in the routine eye examination of patients.Keywords: Primary Open angle glaucoma, Photostress recovery time, foveal, extra-fovea