Anna Gotz-Wieckowska, Joanna Siwiec-Proscinska, Andrzej Dmitriew, Marcin Sas, Agata Jurkiewicz, Ewa Dernoga
Title: Amblyopia detection and treatment across Poland - results of a questionnaire.
Background: Amblyopia continues to be a major health problem today and there is a strong rationale for treatment. Our aim was to determine the pattern of detection and treatment of amblyopia in Polish children.
Methods and Findings: A 25-item questionnaire was designed to evaluate treatment practices in children with amblyopia and strabismus. A total of 60/200 questionnaires (30%) were completed by ophthalmologists and analyzed. For the timing of the first ophthalmic exam in a child with strabismus/amblyopia/ hyperopia in family history, 38% of respondents recommend as early as possible, 28% in the 6th month of life and 21% in the 12th month of life. For treating amblyopia in patients under 3 years of age (besides optical correction), 62% of respondents suggested patching and 34% atropinization. For patients over 3 years of age with severe amblyopia (VA worse than 0.1 -decimal equivalent of Snellen fraction) (apart from spectacles), respondents selected: patching (41%), atropinization (21%), visual exercises (22%), other methods (15%). Respondents showed preference of full day patching in severe amblyopia and half-day patching in moderate amblyopia.
Conclusions: We found a large proportion of Polish ophthalmologists already follow amblyopia treatment guidelines that would be considered evidence-based, incorporating the results of recent randomized clinical trials and observational studies such as those conducted by the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group. We hope that trend will significantly increase after the society congresses and in the future we can state that the Polish amblyopia treatment pattern follows current PEDIG guidelines to prevent serious visual impairment.
