Reduced visual acuity screening in a Primary Care Unit

Abstract Objective: to determine the frequency of reduced visual acuity in children and adolescents attending the child care program of a primary health care unit. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with 290 children and adolescents aged 5 to 18 years attending a primary health unit in the city of Ribeirão Preto (SP) during the first half of 2018. A structured questionnaire Snellen’s visual acuity table. Results: 290 subjects were evaluated, 53.2% female. Of these, 66 (22.7%) were referred to ophthalmologists, 34 (51.5%) were male and 32 (48.5%) were female. We confirmed 31 cases of refractive errors: astigmatism (35.5%), associated astigmatism (25.8%), hypermetropia (29%) and myopia (9.6%). 24 (77.4%) of patients with reduced visual acuity received prescription for corrective lenses. Conclusions: the prevalence of low visual acuity in the studied sample was 10.7%, with a predominance of astigmatism, and with no statistically significant difference between the sexes. It is important to emphasize the importance of performing comprehensive evaluations in the Primary Health Care programs, especially ophthalmologic screening as one of the most important tools for blindness prevention.