Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Castillo, Nora Lucía Oliva
• Wilhelm, Evelyn del Busto
• Paiz, Martin Arturo Zimmermann
• Rivas, Ana Marissa Ordóñez
• Cid, Nancy Carolina Quezada del
• Elías, Verónica Yaneth Burgos
• Villalva, Edison Leonardo Montes

Titel

Latin American ophthalmology practitioner’s perception on current COVID-19 pandemic

Ist Teil von

• Arquivos brasileiros de oftalmologia, 2021-01, Vol.84 (4), p.339-344

Ort / Verlag

Conselho Brasileiro de Oftalmologia

Erscheinungsjahr

2021

Quelle

EZB Electronic Journals Library

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• PURPOSETo assess the perception of Latin American ophthalmology practitioners regarding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) exposure risk, knowledge about personal protection measures, and prioritization of patients. METHODSSelf-administered voluntary anonymous survey (Google Drive forms) was distributed via text message to ophthalmology practitioners from May 01 to May 05, 2020. RESULTSThree hundred seventy-one practitioners (45% response rate) comprising 118 (27.6%) residents, 111 (40.5%) ophthalmologists, and 142 (32.8%) sub-specialists completed the survey. Among them, 106 (32.6%) thought that they were at a high risk of acquiring COVID-19 during the course of work. Furthermore, 273 (69.1%) believed that the current guidelines were insufficient to identify COVID-19 patients. The survey also revealed that 265 (59.5%) were not trained to use personal protective equipment (PPE), and even with its correct use, 341 (91.5%) still felt that they were at risk of acquiring COVID-19. Moreover, 80% of the respondents were of the view that staff members were not knowledgeable about national protocols for attending COVID-19 patients. However, only 9 (2%) considered changing their profession to ameliorate COVID-19 contagion risk. CONCLUSIONThis survey has revealed the issues faced by ophthalmology practitioners in Latin America during their routine practice. These concerns and anxiety about COVID- 19 pandemic seem to be the same worldwide. It is important to reinforce the confidence of ophthalmology practitioners on current guidelines for attending COVID-19 patients. It is also necessary to conduct training programs on PPE usage and ensure that PPE items are available at all times to enhance the quality of care and minimize the spread of the disease.