ABSTRACT
Objective:
To outline the epidemiological profile of a reference ophthalmological emergency department, with no appointment scheduled, at a tertiary hospital in Southern Brazil.
Methods:
A cross-sectional historical study was conducted at Hospital Regional de São José, Santa Catarina, covering all visits to the ophthalmological emergency department over 46 days in 2019 (n = 1,728). Data were entered in a spreadsheet and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 21.0.0.0), with frequencies and chi-square tests for categorical data (p < 0.05).
Results:
Of 1,728 visits, 1,365 were with no appointment scheduled, predominantly male (58.5%), average age of 42 years. Patients from the Florianópolis Metropolitan Region represented 76.2%, associated with a higher abandonment rate (p < 0.001). The overall abandonment rate was 12%. Common complaints included pain (27.7%) and irritation (21.3%), presenting within a week in 74.4% of cases. Main diagnoses were foreign body on the surface (15.5%) and infectious conjunctivitis (12.7%). Trauma was associated in 28.6% of visits. Follow-up or surgery was required in 39.7% of cases, often associated with referral from another health service.
Conclusion:
Many visits were resolved with low complexity, highlighting the importance of epidemiological knowledge to optimize public health investments and enhance the Unified Health System patient experience.
Keywords:
Health profile; Public health systems research; Health management; Eye injuries; Eye foreign bodies; Eye infections