Original Research Article
Year: 2018 | Month: July | Volume: 5 | Issue: 7 | Pages: 102-106
Awareness and Knowledge about Eye Donation in Patients Attending Eye OPD
Dr. ArchanaVilas Manekar1, Dr. Neha Chandrashekhar Yerawar2, Dr. Nilesh Balaji Giri3
1Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, 2Junior Resident, M.S. Ophthalmology,
Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Medical College, Amravati, Maharashtra 444602
3Devgiri Memorial E.N.T. and Eye Hospital, Negdi, Pune 411062
Corresponding Author: Dr. Neha Chandrashekhar Yerawar
ABSTRACT
Aim: To assess the knowledge, attitude and awareness of general population towards eye donation which includes patients and their attendants coming to the outpatient department of a tertiary care medical college hospital of Central India.
Materials and Methods: 300 participants were asked to answer a pretested semi-structured questionnaire in their own language.
Data was analyzed using SPSS software version 16, using appropriate tests.
Results: In this study of 300 participants, 63.3% were aware about eye donation.37% of the respondents were unaware whether one can donate eyes before or after death.25% knew eyes can be retrieved after death while 38% thought that eyes could be donated while a person is alive. The ideal time of eye retrieval after death was known to only 25%.47% were aware that after eye donation it should be utilized within a period of 24 hours. 38% were aware that the cornea is utilized for transplantation. Media and health professionals played a major role in creating awareness for eye donation.
Conclusion: Multipronged innovative strategies should be adopted to increase the awareness regarding eye donation in the population and ways and means must be procured for the public to engrave them.
Key words: Eye donation, Awareness, Knowledge.
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