PURPOSE: To determine how much pediatricians know about eye disorders in children, their diagnosis and therapy, through a standardized questionnaire. METHODS: A semistructured questionnaire with demographic data and questions about knowledge in ophthalmology among pediatricians was applied in the city of Porto Alegre between January and April 2002. Subsequently, a transverse delineation study was carried out and the answers were recorded. Blank answers were considered wrong. The answers were analyzed and compared to previously published articles. RESULTS: The study group was composed of 140 pediatricians, of which 89 (63.57%) were women. The average age of the group was 37.78 years. The average time of reported practice was 11.77 years. The average number of correctly answered questions was 11 (58%). The group that scored best was composed of the physicians with less time of practice in pediatrics. The most used antibiotic was tobramicine (61%) (n=85) followed by chloramphenicol (31%) (n=44) and other classes of antibiotic were rare (8%) (n=11). The majority of the interviewed doctors did not know the correct time for ophthalmic evaluation in children with retinopathy of prematurity. Also, the majority of the interviewed (70%) (n=98) ignored the correct meaning of ambliopia. Questions on congenital cataract, congenital glaucoma and leucocoria also revealed the lack of ophthalmic knowledge in the group of pediatricians. CONCLUSION: These data suggest deficient knowledge of ophthalmology among the interviewed pediatricians.
Knowledge; practice; Pediatrics; Questionnaires; Clinical competence; Quality of health care; Eye diseases
