Alicia Galindo-Ferreiro1,2, Teresa Palencia-Ercilla3, Livia Mendoza Ferreira4, Alberto Galvez-Ruiz1, Denise C M Zornoff5, Rajiv Khandekar6, Silvana A Schellini4. 1. King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh - Saudi Arabia. 2. Department of Ophthalmology, Complejo Asistencial de Palencia, Palencia - Spain. 3. Primary Health Care Pediatric Center Cuellar, Segovia - Spain. 4. Department of Ophthalmology, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu-UNESP, São Paulo - Brazil. 5. Distance Education and Health Information Technology Center, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu-UNESP, Sao Paulo - Brazil. 6. Diagnostic Research, King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh - Saudi Arabia.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To survey the management of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (CNLDO) by pediatric primary health care providers in Spain. METHODS: This was a descriptive study using a web-based questionnaire to evaluate the perceptions of the members of the Pediatric Primary Care Society in Castilla-León, Spain (APAPCYL), regarding management of CNLDO. The questionnaire contained 14 direct questions and was sent by e-mail to all the pediatricians. All the responses were analyzed by the frequency of occurrence and percentages. RESULTS: Ninety physicians responded to the questionnaire. Massage 2 or 3 times a day was the initial treatment advised by 60.47% of pediatricians. Nearly half of the pediatricians recommended continuing massage until symptoms resolved. Fewer than 50% of children required referral to an ophthalmologist. Reasons for an ophthalmic consult included persistence of symptoms among 87.21% of pediatricians and parental/guardian request among 10.5% of pediatricians. According to 45.6% of pediatricians, their knowledge about CNLDO is limited, and 92.2% would like to receive further training on CNLDO. CONCLUSIONS: Massage was the main initial treatment for managing CNLDO among pediatricians. The outcomes of this survey indicated that massage fails in fewer than 50% of patients and an ophthalmic referral is required for these cases.
PURPOSE: To survey the management of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (CNLDO) by pediatric primary health care providers in Spain. METHODS: This was a descriptive study using a web-based questionnaire to evaluate the perceptions of the members of the Pediatric Primary Care Society in Castilla-León, Spain (APAPCYL), regarding management of CNLDO. The questionnaire contained 14 direct questions and was sent by e-mail to all the pediatricians. All the responses were analyzed by the frequency of occurrence and percentages. RESULTS: Ninety physicians responded to the questionnaire. Massage 2 or 3 times a day was the initial treatment advised by 60.47% of pediatricians. Nearly half of the pediatricians recommended continuing massage until symptoms resolved. Fewer than 50% of children required referral to an ophthalmologist. Reasons for an ophthalmic consult included persistence of symptoms among 87.21% of pediatricians and parental/guardian request among 10.5% of pediatricians. According to 45.6% of pediatricians, their knowledge about CNLDO is limited, and 92.2% would like to receive further training on CNLDO. CONCLUSIONS: Massage was the main initial treatment for managing CNLDO among pediatricians. The outcomes of this survey indicated that massage fails in fewer than 50% of patients and an ophthalmic referral is required for these cases.