Demographic and socioeconomic barriers and treatment seeking behaviors of patients with infectious keratitis requiring therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty

• DOI: 10.4103/ijo.ijo_1821_18
• Publication Date: 2019-09-24T06:04:11Z
• Authors: NVenkatesh Prajna; Hem Shah; Naveen Radhakrishnan; Shivaa Ramsewak; Stephan Chiu; Sanil Joseph; Jennifer Rose-Nus...
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Visual Acuity; Eye Infections, Bacterial; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Humans; Prospective Studies; Corneal Ulcer; Infectious keratitis; Graft Survival; RE1-994; Middle Aged; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; 3. Good health; Ophthalmology; Acanthamoeba Keratitis; Socioeconomic Factors; therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty; Original Article; Female; Demographic profile; socioeconomic profile; Eye Infections, Fungal; Keratoplasty, Penetrating

Purpose: To understand demographic and socioeconomic barriers treatment-seeking behaviors of patients with infectious keratitis requiring therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty (TPK) in a developing country. Methods: This prospective non-comparative questionnaire- based study included all presenting to Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai that eventuated TPK between November 2015 October 2016. A structured questionnaire was administered on post-operative day 3 collect data the details, predisposing factors, prior treatment received, expenditures. Results: In total, 227 underwent 2016 for keratitis. The majority were males (n = 132, 58.1%), illiterate 129, 56.8%), had family monthly income less than INR 6000 142, 62.5%). Most 163, 71.8%) an ophthalmologist before our hospital. mean distance travelled reach centre 269.2 ± 298.5 km. duration disease presentation 20.3 21.1 days. Corneal smear positive fungus 163 (88.1%) Aspergillus most commonly isolated fungi 55 (41.3%) cultures. total cost 8752.87 7615.39 per patient. There correlation (rho 0.19, P 0.0034) costs 0.2, 0.0024) by Conclusion: Patients who farther delayed onset spent significantly more their respective counterparts.