Journal of Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology
Open Access

One purpose, many interfaces: Blindness prevention, medical teaching and primary care

3^rd Global Pediatric Ophthalmology Congress

March 22-23, 2018 | London, UK

Helio Pancotti Barreiros

Brazil

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Clin Exp Ophthalmol

Abstract :

Children in poor economical areas often have more difficult access to eye care programs and are under higher risk of developing amblyopia. 2nd term medical students at Serra dos �?�?rg�?£os University, from September to November 2013, preformed a visual acuity screening test in children at a school placed in a poor income neighborhood, aged six-year-old. This was part of a community-work-teaching integration program, which aims to early introduction of students to practical and social medical issues. Out of 52 children, 10 of them did not managed to achieve the 1.0 visual score either in one or both eyes at the scale that was provided by the Brazilian Counsel of Ophthalmology. These children then have been taken to a government employed ophthalmologist who confirmed the need of visual correction in three of them, diagnosed strabismus in one child, and recorded a normal 1.0 visual acuity in one or two of the remaining six children. Throughout the whole process, there has been the supervision of medical staff and the participation of community based agents as the legal requirement demands of the ESF issues. With appropriate support, medical students may fulfill gaps in the primary care assistance to reading children, and help them to prevent amblyopic blindness in oneâ�?�?s country. hpbarreiros@uol.com.br