[Agreement between ophthalmologist and nurse in the first postoperative exploration following cataract extraction]

Nursing activity in the cataract extraction process extends from carrying out biometry in the preoperative stage and collaboration in surgery, to providing the initial care in the postoperative stage and keeping the patient and family informed throughout the whole process. This article analyses agreement between ophthalmologists and nurses in the findings of the first post-surgical exploration of patients of cataract extraction using facoemulsification and without complications in surgery.

The study was carried out between May and June of 2005 on 129 patients who had been operated on for cataracts, 78 women and 51 men with an average age of 73.1 years. The variables to be evaluated in the first post-surgical exploration were defined, and a study was made of the agreement between ophthalmologists and nurses in identification of the most frequent complications in cataract surgery.

Agreement was 100% in the cases of intraocular pressure >22 mm Hg, pupil irregularity, inflammatory reaction of the anterior chamber and iris prolapse; it was 65.9% on the presence of Seidel; and 60.5% on severe corneal edema.

The high rate of agreement between ophthalmologists and nurses in 4 of the variables might offer the possibility of the nurse carrying out this post-surgical exploration. However, a moderate rate of agreement in the other variables makes a longer training period for nursing personnel necessary in order to obtain higher values.