Abstract
Purpose: :
For driving safety is necessary to have a good visual system, because of that, the visual assessment of drivers is a major health issue. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness of a "Visual Drivers Assessment" program as a screening tool to detect and describe the prevalence of visual conditions in the young and the elderly drivers, emphasizing the detection of ocular hypertension and cataracts.
Methods: :
An observational and retrospective study were performed with the "Visual Aptitude Test" records from the total of people (18520) who have obtained or renewed his driver license, from March 2003 to March 2006, in Parana City, Entre Rios, Argentine. The Visual Test were designed and performed by ophthalmologist who assessed the follow data: 1-Anamnesis (general and ophthalmic history manifested by the applicants); 2-Visual Acuity (VA) with/without correction (the minimum binocular acuity necessary to pass the test was 20/40 ); 3- Slit-lamp biomicroscopy (SLB) examination (to detect cataracts); 4- Intraocular pressure (IOP). Visual Field (30/60-2 peripheral test pattern; ) were required only in cases of drivers with monocular vision. For this study, these data were evaluated and processed, in three age groups (Group A: 18-39 years old; Group B 40-64 years old; Group C ≥ 65years old ).
Results: :
Age groups distribution were A-46.49%; B-38.36% and C-14.88%. Next topics shows the percentage from the whole population and between brackets only the percentage from the age group with the higher value for each topic. Medical history: diabetes 2.8% (C-89.64%), blood hypertension 10.3% (C-70.89%). Ocular history: glaucoma 1.56% (C-91.37%), diabetic retinopathy 0.34% (C-81.25%). VA: 78.02% could drive without optical correction (A-55.91). SLB: cataracts were detected in 4.6% (C- 64.48%). IOP measurement: were detected increased in 1.48% (C-62.55% ). Monocular drivers were 0.41% and all of them performed the visual field test (61.84 belong to group C). Finally, from people with cataract and high IOP detected, 64% were older than 64 years old (group C).
Conclusions: :
This "Drivers Assessment program" allowed to detect ocular pathologies (drivers with cataract or ocular hypertension) which could affect the fitness to drive; their incidence were higher in drivers over 64, as well as the prevalence of diabetes & blood hypertension.
Keywords: aging • aging: visual performance • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: prevalence/incidence