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The prevalence of low vision is expected to increase at the national and international levels, given the aging population and the association between the prevalence of ocular disease(s) and increasing age. Thus, it is important to establish knowledge of the distribution, adequacy, and quality of available low vision rehabilitation services nationally and internationally. This will in turn help prioritize eyecare plans and initiatives, and thus deliver effective services. This cross-sectional study enumerated and surveyed all local government and information regarding the geographic location of each participating entity, entity affiliation, availability and types of low vision rehabilitation services, types of providers, and referral patterns were determined. The results of the current study showed that only 4% of the entities provided low vision rehabilitation services and most (75%) were located in the central region. Additionally, the majority of the services (95%) were basic optometric rehabilitation services whereas other services were either rarely offered or not offered at all. Overall, the current low vision rehabilitation services in Saudi Arabia are inadequate to meet the increasing prevalence of the low vision population. Thus, careful planning of eyecare services is required to meet this demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many national studies in Saudi Arabia have revealed a lack of knowledge about eye donation. The current study assessed awareness and attitudes towards eye donation among health faculty students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It aims to increase their awareness as future healthcare providers are expected to raise general awareness to attain more local corneal donations. Methods: A cross-sectional study including 1,060 health faculty students was conducted at King Abdulaziz University. Data were collected through an online questionnaire that covered participants' demographics, academic year, knowledge, and attitudes regarding eye donation. Results: Thirty-five percent of students had heard about eye donation, with the most common sources of information being social media (29%) and health workers (24%). Most respondents, 61% (n = 643), indicated willingness to donate their eyes after death. Of these respondents, 93% (n = 986), 6.8% (n = 72), and 0.2% (n = 2) had poor, fair, and good knowledge levels, respectively. A total of 66% (n = 696) and 34% (n = 364) had negative and positive attitudes, respectively. Conclusion: Students in this study showed low levels of knowledge and negative attitudes about eye donation. Students should be adequately educated about the significance of eye donation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The ophthalmology workforce is an integral component of any health care system. However, the demand for eye care has imposed a heavy burden on this system. Hence, this study aimed to estimate the trends, demographic characteristics, distribution, and variation between Saudi and non-Saudi ophthalmologists and the future challenges of the ophthalmology workforce in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methods: This study was conducted in the KSA and included ophthalmologists practicing from 2010 to 2023. From the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, we obtained the number, gender, nationality, and rank of ophthalmologists. The geographic distribution of ophthalmologists in the KSA was obtained from the Ministry of Health Statistical Yearbook 2021. Results: As of January 2023, the KSA had a total of 2608 registered ophthalmologists, with approximately 81.06 ophthalmologists per 1,000,000 people. Only 38% of all ophthalmologists in the country were Saudis. The percentage of Saudi female graduates increased from 13.3% to 37.2% over 12 years [Sen's estimator of slope for median increase per year = 1.33 (95% CI 1.22–1.57) graduates; trend test P < 0.001). Additionally, we found that the geographic distribution of ophthalmologists varied (test for homogeneity of rates, P < 0.0001), with the larger regions having a higher concentration of ophthalmologists than the smaller regions (75.6 in Riyadh versus 42.8 in Jazan per 1,000,000 people). However, the World Health Organization's target for the ophthalmologist-to-population ratio has been achieved in all 13 health regions of KSA. Conclusion: The recommended ophthalmologist-to-population ratio has been achieved in the KSA, and the number of Saudi ophthalmologists has almost doubled over the past 8 years. However, the majority of ophthalmologists are still non-Saudi, as Saudi ophthalmologists constitute approximately one-third of the ophthalmology workforce in the KSA. The geographical distribution of ophthalmologists varies, which might affect access to care in peripheral regions. In response to the growing demand for eye care in the KSA, several more effective measures might need to be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Optic nerve avulsion (ONA) is a rare but serious presentation of ocular trauma. This study investigates the presenting characteristics and etiologies of all cases of ONA over an 8-year-period at a tertiary eye care center in the Middle East.Methods: The medical records of patients diagnosed with ONA at an Ophthalmic Emergency Department between November 2014 and November 2022 were analyzed in this retrospective cohort study. Data were collected on patient age, sex, affected eye, cause of injury and imaging studies. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at presentation and at the last follow-up visit, and the duration of follow-up were documented.Results: The study sample was comprised of 44 eyes of 43 patients with ONA with median age of 16.5 (9.3– 26.8) years ranging from 2 years old to 70 years old. There were (35;79.5%) males and (9; 20.5%) females. Most cases presented with an affected left eye (27; 61.4%) followed by the right eye (16; 36.4%) and only one patient (2.3%) had bilateral ONA. The most common cause of trauma resulting in ONA was a metallic object (8;18.2%). This study demonstrates the value of multi-sequence Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the setting of unexplained vision loss when other modalities are inadequate or inconclusive.Conclusion: Ophthalmic morbidity resulting from ONA can be devastating. Metallic object injuries were the most prevalent cause of ONA. The presence of associated media opacities challenges the initial diagnosis of ONA. In the vast majority of cases, the vision ended as no light perception (NLP), indicating permanent vision impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this narrative review is to investigate and summarize studies conducted for prevalence of glaucoma in Saudi Arabia. Search criteria were; published studies after the year of 2000 and included Saudi population. Any study that focused on subtypes of glaucoma and their relations with other ocular conditions were excluded. There were three studies that estimated the prevalence of glaucoma in Saudi Arabia. The prevalence reported in these studies ranged from 5.4% to 5.8%. However, these studies were conducted in specific regions and did not represent the national prevalence of glaucoma in Saudi Arabia. It was concluded that there is a high demand for accurate estimate for the national prevalence of glaucoma in Saudi Arabia. Accurate estimate of prevalence and epidemiology of glaucoma leads to constrain the challenges of glaucoma as a public health concern in Saudi Arabia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to assess parents' awareness of and perspectives on childhood refractive errors in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between October and November 2020 in public schools across different regions of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using an online questionnaire that assessed parents' knowledge and perceptions of childhood refractive errors and spectacle wear. Results: A total of 358 parents from different regions of Saudi Arabia completed the questionnaire and were obtained in this study (response rate: 85%). Approximately one third (38.3%) of the parents reported that they had never heard of refractive errors and onethird (33.8%) mentioned that uncorrected refractive errors did not lead to visual impairment. The majority (74.0%) cited using eyeglasses as an effective way to manage childhood refractive errors. Two-thirds (63.7%) stated that they did not receive any information about paediatric eye care. Better knowledge was associated with a higher educational level, female gender and older age (P <0.001, P = 0.008 and P = 0.024, respectively). Regarding parents' perspective on spectacle wear, 13.7% felt that using eyeglasses affected their children's chances of learning. However, 82.7% supposed that eyeglasses did not affect their children's employment opportunities. Almost a quarter of the sample (22.1%) thought that using eyeglasses would decrease the eye's power, resulting in childhood visual impairment. Conclusion: The level of awareness and perceptions regarding childhood refractive errors and spectacle wear was low among parents. Therefore, a policy is needed to improve the awareness and perception of the key stakeholders in this issue, including parents and teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study design: Cross sectional. Background: There has been an apparent increase in allergy disorders in recent decades, with a significant percentage of the world's population suffering from ocular allergies. A sufficient level of public education and awareness regarding ocular allergies may aid in minimizing the sickness burden. Ocular allergies, or allergic conjunctivitis, is an inflammatory reaction of the surface of the eye to particles (allergens) in the environment and one of the most common ocular surface diseases in primary eye care. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, data were collected by the purposely constructed questionnaire. A questionnaire composed of the demographic items and items related to the awareness and knowledge about the Ocular Allergy. A questionnaire was constructed after the series of discussions between the panel of experts this panel was composed of a subject specialist, researcher, language expert. Cronbach alpha of the questionnaire was calculated. The study was conducted in the Aseer region of Saudi Arabia. Results: 51.2% agreed that Inflammation of the eye is harmless foreign substance while majority believe that itching is the major symptoms for allergy, 58.7% do not agreed that it is transferable disease from man to man. Conclusion: The general level of awareness among university students is poor. Students' awareness of ocular allergies was influenced by their academic programs. Students should be taught about ocular allergy prevention and control, as well as the difficulties that come with it, through public health efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In Saudi Arabia, school health services lack adequate vision screening. To date, limited data on access to eye care in young children in Saudi Arabia exist. Aim: This study aims to evaluate whether parents who reside in Saudi Arabia know how to access eye care for their young children, and what barriers might exist to prevent them from seeking care. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study among parents of children 14 years or younger who reside in Saudi Arabia was conducted using an online questionnaire. Results: A total of 1023 completed questionnaires were analyzed. Of all responses, the majority 57.9% (n = 592) of parents reported that vision screening did not take place in their children's schools. Over half of the parents (n = 522, 58.9%) reported that their children had never undergone an eye examination before. Most common reason to seek eye care would be for concerns over poor vision reported in 59.5% (n = 609). The most common barrier to accessing eye care was not knowing how to access an eye test in 33.9% (n = 347) followed by a quarter of parents citing other reasons (n = 258, 25.2%) such as having no concerns and no clear reason to have their child's eyes examined. Conclusion: Parents in Saudi Arabia have some concerns and challenges in seeking eye care for their young children. Planned awareness programs to educate parents and help them overcome the barriers that hinder them from seeking eye care for their children are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To describe the predisposing factors, causative organisms, treatment modalities, and visual outcomes of childhood non-viral microbial keratitis in our region. Patients and Methods: All cases with the clinical or microbiological diagnosis of non-viral microbial keratitis in patients ≤ 18 years presenting to Dhahran Eye specialist Hospital, a tertiary eye care hospital in Dhahran, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, between 2010 and 2020 were included. A retrospective chart review was conducted. Demographic data, predisposing factors, clinical characteristics, isolated microorganisms, and visual outcomes were recorded. Results: Fifty-nine patients were included in this study, of which three cases were bilateral. The mean age was 9.3 ± 6.3 years (range: 14 days - 18 years). Predisposing factors were identified in 89.8% (n=53) of cases. Contact lens wear was the leading cause 35.6% (n=21), followed by trauma 27.1% (n=16), ocular diseases 11.9% (n=7), systemic diseases 10.2% (n=6), and ocular surgery 5.1% (n=3). Out of all cases, 66.1% (n=39) have undergone corneal scraping, out of which 43.6% (n=17) showed positive growth. Gram-negative organisms accounted for 47.1% (n=8) isolates of all culture-positive cases. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most common pure isolate, which accounted for 41.2% (n=7) of culture-positive cases, followed by Staphylococcus aureus 11.8% (n=2). The most common complication was corneal scar in 71.2% (n=42). Nineteen (32.2%) patients had poor outcome. Seven patients (11.9%) required further intervention, these included penetrating keratoplasty (n=1), deep lamellar keratoplasty (n=3), Photorefractive keratectomy (n=2), and Phototherapeutic keratectomy (n=1). Conclusion: Childhood non-viral microbial keratitis is uncommon; however, it carries significant risks. Most cases were associated with preventable risk factors, with contact lens wear being the leading cause. Early detection and management are mandatory to reduce the risk of vision-threatening complications. The difficulty in assessment should not jeopardize proper evaluation and management of suspected cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Early childhood is critical for the development of the eyes and vision; any disruption at this time can result in serious visual impairment or even blindness. Children's eye examinations and treatment are not only a child's right, but also a requirement for correctly monitoring and evaluating the eyes and visual structure. The parents or guardians are responsible for making decisions about a child's eye care. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, data were collected by the purposely constructed questionnaire. A questionnaire composed of the demographic items and items related to the awareness and knowledge about the Eye health. A questionnaire was constructed after the series of discussions between the panel of experts this panel was composed of a subject specialist, researcher, language expert. Cronbach alpha of the questionnaire was calculated. Results: Out of 405 respondents, 12.8% were agreed that, after a chemical eye burn, it is recommended to wash the eye immediately with clean water, then taking the injured person to a hospital to continue treatment. 12.1% agreed that, Amblyopia (lazy eye) can be treated from adulthood and onwards. Conclusion: In Saudi Arabia, parents' knowledge and awareness of eye care for their children is deemed inadequate. However, larger sample size studies are needed to confirm the current study's findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]