European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

A NOVEL METHOD TO SCREEN AND CORRECT REFRACTIVE ERRORS IN A CAMP SCENARIO

Dr. H. N. Sowbhagya, Dr. Manjunath Natarajan*, Dr. Hemalatha B. and Dr. P. Santosh

ABSTRACT

Background: This study is an attempt to investigate the effectiveness of Mohindra's near retinoscopy (M.R) technique in a mass screening scenario. The noteworthy feature of this technique being that the results are close to post-cycloplegic retinoscopy, without using cycloplegic drugs. Thus eliminating the use of cycloplegic drugs, their associated side effects, avoiding multiple visits thus saving time for both the doctor and patients. So it could be a promising method through which efficient refractive error screening and evaluation could be performed. Although a few studies have used the near retinoscopy technique of Mohindra, none have tried to scrutinize its relation to subjective acceptance or to static retinoscopy. This is first study of its kind done in a mass screening scenario in india. Objectives: 1) Correlation of static retinoscopy with monocular and binocular subjective correction. 2) Correlation of Mohindra's retinoscopy with monocular and binocular subjective correction. Study Design: Prospective observational non-randomized study using purposive sampling. Study sample: 500 eyes of 250 patients. Methodology: A prospective observational study using purposive sampling. Results: Both M.R and S.R were found to have almost the same correlation with B.S.R and M.S.R. Conclusion: Similar results will be obtained by asking the patient to fixate at the Snellen’s chart or at the retinoscope’s light in mass screening with wide variation in age of the sample population and the results of refraction will be better if binocular subjective refraction were to be used. The use of M.R with B.S.R could be the ideal technique for use in camp scenario.

Keywords: Retinoscopy; Ocular refraction.