Abstract
Purpose:
To identify the pattern and frequency of inpatient and emergency department ophthalmology consultations at a large tertiary care hospital.
Methods:
A retrospective chart review of all inpatient ophthalmology consult notes from 6/1/2013 to 12/31/13 was conducted. Patient age, gender, consulting service, type of consultation (inpatient vs emergency department), chief complaint, visual acuity, and final diagnosis were recorded.
Results:
There were a total of 299 consults seen. The average age of the patients was 46.75 years (range 2 days to 100 years). There were 162 males and 137 females. There were 156 inpatient consults and 143 emergency room consults. The most frequent consulting service was the emergency department (131 consults), followed by internal medicine (65). The most common chief complaint was blurry or decreased vision (49 consults), followed by trauma, eye pain, red eye, and baseline examination prior to starting ethambutol therapy. The most common diagnosis was orbital wall fracture (25 patients), followed by corneal abrasion, dry eye, subconjunctival hemorrhage, conjunctivitis, and preseptal cellulitis.
Conclusions:
This study profiles the typical patient and eye problem that may be encountered when requested for a consult. Ophthalmologic consultation is a valuable inpatient consultation service that may make a significant difference in the management of patients at an inpatient hospital. Education of internal medicine and emergency room doctors about the most common eye complaints and findings may facilitate and expedite patient care.