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Correctable visual impairment in stroke rehabilitation patients
A J Lotery1, M I Wiggam, A J Jackson
1Department of Ophthalmology, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, UK.
Background:
after stroke, visual impairment may exacerbate the impact of other impairments on overall disability and negatively influence rehabilitation.
Objective:
to examine the visual status of patients after stroke and determine whether this can be improved by simple interventions.
Design:
prospective study.
Settings:
stroke rehabilitation unit in a Belfast teaching hospital.
Subjects:
77 consecutive patients admitted for rehabilitation after acute stroke.
Methods:
full optometric and ophthalmic assessment within 2 weeks of admission.
Results:
of 70 patients with glasses, 19 did not have their glasses in hospital before prompting and 18 had glasses in unacceptable condition. Twenty patients had impaired visual acuity (6/12 or worse) with existing glasses (if helpful); 11 of these improved to better than 6/12 with refractive correction.
Conclusions:
stroke professionals need to enquire about patients' spectacles and assess their condition. Patients with reduced visual acuity in the absence of significant non-refractive disease should be referred to an optometrist: in this series 14% of patients had visual impairment which benefited from refractive correction.