Purpose:
Evaluate the characteristics of patients seen in the emergency department of ophthalmology in order to identify measures to improve the effectiveness of care and guide the enhancement of other emergency services.
Methods:
Cross-sectional, observational study with 300 patients treated at the Municipal Hospital of Santo Andre - Sao Paulo from 15 to 22 august 2011. Data were collected through interviews with patients based on a questionnaire.
Results:
It was observed that 73.7% lived at a distance of up to 20 km from the hospital and 71.6% of real emergencies and 61.3% of false emergencies sought treatment within a week of the onset of symptoms.
Conclusions:
Considered the need to provide information to the population about the type and severity of ocular emergencies, with emphasis on prevention and the importance of the most prevalent diseases such as corneal foreign body and corneal ulcer, and health policies aimed at creation of regional centers of specialized care in order to minimize barriers to access and increase the speed in the treatment of ocular emergencies.
Emergency service, hospital; Eye/abnormalities; Eye diseases; Questionnaires