Clinical Case Database / Category: Practical Procedure
Assessing visual acuity
Publication details
Dr James Bacon, Dr Alexander Foss, Dr. Neeru Dhillon
Foundation Years Journal, volume 4, issue 6, p.20 (123Doc Education, London, June 2010)
Abstract
Assessing visual acuity is an aspect of ophthalmology which is commonly misunderstood. The following article demonstrates how to approach a patient with impaired vision including taking a history, assessing near and distance vision, and how to understand and interpret the results. The ability to accurately assess a patient's visual acuity is an essential skill for all doctors. To assess renal function, one would routinely test blood, urea and electrolyte levels. There is, however, no blood test for the eye and visual acuity is the most sensitive method to ascertain ocular function.
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Authors
Dr James Bacon
Ophthalmology Registrar
Diana Princess of Wales Hospital
Grimsby
jamesfbacon3@hotmail.com
Dr Alexander Foss
Ophthalmology consultant
QMC
Nottingham
Alexander.Foss@nuh.nhs.uk
Dr. Neeru Dhillon
FY2 Doctor
Queen Medical Centre
Derby Road
Nottingham
NG7 2UH
neerudhillon@hotmail.com
References
1. http://research.dwp.gov.uk/medical/med_conditions/images/ snellen_visual_acuity_chart.jpg
2. Elkington AR. Frank HJ. Greaney MJ. (1999) Clinical Optics 3rd edn.
3. www.cehjournal.org
4. http://www.londonvisionclinic.com/images/chart_outcomes_hyperopia_near.gif
Disclaimers
Conflict Of Interest
The Journal requires that authors disclose any potential conflict of interest that they may have. This is clearly stated in the Journal’s published “Guidelines for Authors”. The Journal follows the Guidelines against Conflict of Interest published in the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals (http://www.icmje.org/urm_full.pdf).
Financial Statement
The authors of this article have not been paid. The Journal is financed by subscriptions and advertising. The Journal does not receive money from any other sources. The decision to accept or refuse this article for publication was free from financial considerations and was solely the responsibility of the Editorial Panel and Editor-in-Chief.
Patient Consent statement
All pictures and investigations shown in this article are shown with the patients’ consent. We require Authors to maintain patients’ anonymity and to obtain consent to report investigations and pictures involving human subjects when anonymity may be compromised. The Journal follows the Guidelines of the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts (http://www.icmje.org/urm_full.pdf). The Journal requires in its Guidelines for Authors a statement from Authors that “the subject gave informed consent”.
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When reporting experiments on human subjects, the Journal requires authors to indicate whether the procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the HelsinkiDeclaration of 1975, as revised in 2008.
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The Foundation Years Clinical Cases Database is a selection of 600 peer-reviewed clinical cases in the field of patient safety and clinical practice, specifically focused on the clinical information needs of junior doctors, based around the Foundation Year Curriculum programme (MMC). The cases have been chosen to align with the Foundation Year Curriculum.
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