Author: Nabil Herda (France)
Co-authors: May Baker, Juliana Estrada Walker, Omar Moukaddam, Oudy Semoun, Eric Souied
Purpose
To analyze the impact of the 1st wave of COVID-19 on macular diseases’ management in the ophthalmology department of “Centre hospitalier intercommunal de Créteil (CHIC)” and correlate it with patients’ demographic and clinical features.
Setting/Venue
Retrospective observational cross-sectional study.
Methods
During the French lockdown period from March 17th to May 11th, 2020, related to the COVID-19 pandemic, we analyzed the medical retina activity and more specifically the intra-vitreous injections (IVIs) at CHIC and compared it to that of the same period from 2017 to 2019. The impact of patients’ demographic and clinical features (age, sex, visual acuity (VA), retinal disease, therapeutic strategy) on this activity were evaluated.
Results
In 2019, the number of IVIs carried out at CHIC between March 17th and May 11th, was 2189. In 2020, this number was 953 corresponding to a decrease of 56 %. During the 1st wave, 763 patients (968 eyes) were scheduled for at least one IVI. 781 eyes of 611 patients received 1 or 2 IVIs (Group 1). 187 eyes of 152 patients did not receive any injection (Group 2). 82.82% out of the patients in group 1 received all scheduled IVIs and 17.18% received only a part of treatment. In group 1, average age is 75.9 years. Female patients represent 59.57%. Average VA before lockdown was 62.55 letters. This remained stable after, at 61.85 letters. The therapeutic strategy used before lockdown was Pro Re Nata (PRN) in 61.20% of cases and Treat and extend (TAE) in 33.03% of cases. Age related macular degeneration (AMD) was the most common disease (64.22%). In group 2, average age is 76.07 years. Female patients represent 58.55%. Average VA before lockdown was 60.70 letters. It was reduced to 50.35 letters after. The predominant therapeutic strategy was PRN (47.06%) followed by TAE (33.16%). AMD was the most common disease (56.15%).
Conlusions
The COVID-19 lockdown severely impacted the number of IVIs at CHIC. The short-term impact on VA is significant in the absence of treatment. The impact is not statistically different with respect to age, gender, and retinal disease. However, regarding the therapeutic strategy used before the lockdown, the PRN seems to have enabled a better observance. These results underline the importance of informing patients and sensitizing them to treatment observance.
Financial Disclosure
No financial relations
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