Ophthalmic practice health hazards among ophthalmologists in a resource–limited setting

ObjectiveTo determine ophthalmic practice health hazards among ophthalmologists in a resource-limited setting.MethodsThe study was conducted through a cross-sectional survey of 53 ophthalmologists' experiences on ophthalmic practice health hazards using semi-structured questionnaire.ResultsMost practitioners felt eye surgical procedures 40 (75.5%) and examination of eye patients (62.3%) were potentially hazardous to practitioners and, 49 (92.5%) thought clerking was not. Most, 92.5% had experienced patients' halitosis/cough during ophthalmoscopy and, 77.4% experienced hand smeared with patients' eye discharges/tears. Important health hazards experiences included, having contacted systemic diseases (5.7%) and infective eye diseases (18.9%), knife cut during surgical procedure (7.6%), needle pricks (49.1%) and hand smeared with patients' blood (49.1%). Others were neck pain at ophthalmoscopy (35.9%), blurred vision at retinoscopy (20.8%) and hoarseness while performing visual acuities (1.9%).ConclusionsEye practitioners are exposed to hazards in their practice including potentially life threatening ones. Necessary precautions at work, use of hazard free ophthalmic equipment and working conditions would reduce hazards in ophthalmic practice.