Self-medication: initial treatments used by patients seen in an ophthalmologic emergency room
Autor(a) principal: | |
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Data de Publicação: | 2009 |
Outros Autores: | , , , |
Tipo de documento: | Artigo |
Idioma: | eng |
Título da fonte: | Clinics |
Texto Completo: | https://www.revistas.usp.br/clinics/article/view/17938 |
Resumo: | OBJECTIVE: This study seeks to identify practices of self-medication in the treatment of ocular emergencies. We examine patients' use of both homemade preparations and manufactured products before seeking specialized care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analytic survey of consecutive patients seen in the ophthalmology emergency room of a teaching hospital. RESULTS: The sample included 561 subjects, 51.3% males and 48.7% females, with a mean age of 39.8 years. Prior to seeking emergency care, 40.5% reported self-medicating; 29.4% used a homemade preparation (13.9% referred to an industrialized product like boric acid as a homemade preparation), and 11.1% used a manufactured product. The most frequently used products included a boric acid solution (53.3%), a normal saline solution (35.7%), herbal infusions (6.1%) and breast milk (4.8%). Viral conjunctivitis was the most frequent diagnosis (24.4%), followed by the presence of a corneal foreign body (7.4%). No significant differences were found in the self-treatment of ocular injuries according to gender (p = 0.95), level of education (p = 0.21) or age (p = 0.14). In addition, self-medication practices were not related to the medically judged severity of the condition. CONCLUSION: Patients often attempt to treat conditions that require ophthalmologic emergency care by self-medicating with homemade or manufactured products. The most widely used products include boric acid, normal saline, leaf infusions and breast milk. This behavior occurs independently of educational level, gender, age or the nature of the ocular condition. Self-medication is a culturally driven practice that is used even in cases of acute ocular injuries. |
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Clinics |
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Self-medication: initial treatments used by patients seen in an ophthalmologic emergency room Cultural habitsEye-dropsHomemade remediesOphthalmologic first-aidSelf-medication OBJECTIVE: This study seeks to identify practices of self-medication in the treatment of ocular emergencies. We examine patients' use of both homemade preparations and manufactured products before seeking specialized care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analytic survey of consecutive patients seen in the ophthalmology emergency room of a teaching hospital. RESULTS: The sample included 561 subjects, 51.3% males and 48.7% females, with a mean age of 39.8 years. Prior to seeking emergency care, 40.5% reported self-medicating; 29.4% used a homemade preparation (13.9% referred to an industrialized product like boric acid as a homemade preparation), and 11.1% used a manufactured product. The most frequently used products included a boric acid solution (53.3%), a normal saline solution (35.7%), herbal infusions (6.1%) and breast milk (4.8%). Viral conjunctivitis was the most frequent diagnosis (24.4%), followed by the presence of a corneal foreign body (7.4%). No significant differences were found in the self-treatment of ocular injuries according to gender (p = 0.95), level of education (p = 0.21) or age (p = 0.14). In addition, self-medication practices were not related to the medically judged severity of the condition. CONCLUSION: Patients often attempt to treat conditions that require ophthalmologic emergency care by self-medicating with homemade or manufactured products. The most widely used products include boric acid, normal saline, leaf infusions and breast milk. This behavior occurs independently of educational level, gender, age or the nature of the ocular condition. Self-medication is a culturally driven practice that is used even in cases of acute ocular injuries. Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo2009-01-01info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionapplication/pdfhttps://www.revistas.usp.br/clinics/article/view/1793810.1590/S1807-59322009000800005Clinics; Vol. 64 No. 8 (2009); 735-741 Clinics; v. 64 n. 8 (2009); 735-741 Clinics; Vol. 64 Núm. 8 (2009); 735-741 1980-53221807-5932reponame:Clinicsinstname:Universidade de São Paulo (USP)instacron:USPenghttps://www.revistas.usp.br/clinics/article/view/17938/20003Carvalho, Regina SouzaKara-José, NewtonTemporini, Edméa RitaKara-Junior, NewtonNoma-Campos, Reginainfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess2012-05-22T18:46:16Zoai:revistas.usp.br:article/17938Revistahttps://www.revistas.usp.br/clinicsPUBhttps://www.revistas.usp.br/clinics/oai||clinics@hc.fm.usp.br1980-53221807-5932opendoar:2012-05-22T18:46:16Clinics - Universidade de São Paulo (USP)false |
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv |
Self-medication: initial treatments used by patients seen in an ophthalmologic emergency room |
title |
Self-medication: initial treatments used by patients seen in an ophthalmologic emergency room |
spellingShingle |
Self-medication: initial treatments used by patients seen in an ophthalmologic emergency room Carvalho, Regina Souza Cultural habits Eye-drops Homemade remedies Ophthalmologic first-aid Self-medication |
title_short |
Self-medication: initial treatments used by patients seen in an ophthalmologic emergency room |
title_full |
Self-medication: initial treatments used by patients seen in an ophthalmologic emergency room |
title_fullStr |
Self-medication: initial treatments used by patients seen in an ophthalmologic emergency room |
title_full_unstemmed |
Self-medication: initial treatments used by patients seen in an ophthalmologic emergency room |
title_sort |
Self-medication: initial treatments used by patients seen in an ophthalmologic emergency room |
author |
Carvalho, Regina Souza |
author_facet |
Carvalho, Regina Souza Kara-José, Newton Temporini, Edméa Rita Kara-Junior, Newton Noma-Campos, Regina |
author_role |
author |
author2 |
Kara-José, Newton Temporini, Edméa Rita Kara-Junior, Newton Noma-Campos, Regina |
author2_role |
author author author author |
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv |
Carvalho, Regina Souza Kara-José, Newton Temporini, Edméa Rita Kara-Junior, Newton Noma-Campos, Regina |
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv |
Cultural habits Eye-drops Homemade remedies Ophthalmologic first-aid Self-medication |
topic |
Cultural habits Eye-drops Homemade remedies Ophthalmologic first-aid Self-medication |
description |
OBJECTIVE: This study seeks to identify practices of self-medication in the treatment of ocular emergencies. We examine patients' use of both homemade preparations and manufactured products before seeking specialized care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analytic survey of consecutive patients seen in the ophthalmology emergency room of a teaching hospital. RESULTS: The sample included 561 subjects, 51.3% males and 48.7% females, with a mean age of 39.8 years. Prior to seeking emergency care, 40.5% reported self-medicating; 29.4% used a homemade preparation (13.9% referred to an industrialized product like boric acid as a homemade preparation), and 11.1% used a manufactured product. The most frequently used products included a boric acid solution (53.3%), a normal saline solution (35.7%), herbal infusions (6.1%) and breast milk (4.8%). Viral conjunctivitis was the most frequent diagnosis (24.4%), followed by the presence of a corneal foreign body (7.4%). No significant differences were found in the self-treatment of ocular injuries according to gender (p = 0.95), level of education (p = 0.21) or age (p = 0.14). In addition, self-medication practices were not related to the medically judged severity of the condition. CONCLUSION: Patients often attempt to treat conditions that require ophthalmologic emergency care by self-medicating with homemade or manufactured products. The most widely used products include boric acid, normal saline, leaf infusions and breast milk. This behavior occurs independently of educational level, gender, age or the nature of the ocular condition. Self-medication is a culturally driven practice that is used even in cases of acute ocular injuries. |
publishDate |
2009 |
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv |
2009-01-01 |
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
format |
article |
status_str |
publishedVersion |
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv |
https://www.revistas.usp.br/clinics/article/view/17938 10.1590/S1807-59322009000800005 |
url |
https://www.revistas.usp.br/clinics/article/view/17938 |
identifier_str_mv |
10.1590/S1807-59322009000800005 |
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv |
eng |
language |
eng |
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv |
https://www.revistas.usp.br/clinics/article/view/17938/20003 |
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
eu_rights_str_mv |
openAccess |
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv |
application/pdf |
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo |
publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo |
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv |
Clinics; Vol. 64 No. 8 (2009); 735-741 Clinics; v. 64 n. 8 (2009); 735-741 Clinics; Vol. 64 Núm. 8 (2009); 735-741 1980-5322 1807-5932 reponame:Clinics instname:Universidade de São Paulo (USP) instacron:USP |
instname_str |
Universidade de São Paulo (USP) |
instacron_str |
USP |
institution |
USP |
reponame_str |
Clinics |
collection |
Clinics |
repository.name.fl_str_mv |
Clinics - Universidade de São Paulo (USP) |
repository.mail.fl_str_mv |
||clinics@hc.fm.usp.br |
_version_ |
1800222754341912576 |