PREVALENCE OF GLAUCOMA IN CATARACT PATIENTS - A COMPARISON BETWEEN PRE-COVID AND POST-COVID PERIODS

Abstract

Objectives: Globally, cataract and glaucoma are the predominant causes of blindness. Screening glaucoma in patients referred for cataract surgery is a convenient tool for detecting glaucoma cases in rural population. The COVID period has adversely affected eye care as the routine screening and follow-ups at hospital were substantially reduced owing to pandemic restrictions. We aim to study the impact of COVID on detection of glaucoma in patients with cataract. Methods: It was a retrospective study conducted to compare the prevalence of glaucoma in rural patients presenting with cataract pre- and post- COVID. Details of 975 consecutive patients each were taken prior to March 2020 (pre-COVID) and after October 2021 (post-COVID) from hospital database and patient case files. Results: The prevalence of glaucoma was higher during the pre-COVID time (3.8%) as compared to pre-COVID (3.8%), but the result was not statistically significant. In both the groups, primary open-angle glaucoma was the pre-dominant form of glaucoma, with prevalence being 1.5% and 2.2% in the pre-COVID and post-COVID groups, respectively. The mean intraocular pressure and mean VCDR values were higher in the post-COVID group as compared to the pre-COVID group, and the result was statistically significant. Conclusion: This was the first study to compare the prevalence of glaucoma in patients with cataract in rural population in the pre-COVID and post- COVID periods. In the aftermath of the pandemic, the present study emphasizes the role of screening and follow-ups in glaucoma management to prevent irreversible loss of vision.