Treatment of acute anterior uveitis in the community, as seen in an emergency eye centre. A lesson for the general practitioner?

BACKGROUND

Acute anterior uveitis (AAU) is a potentially serious ocular condition, which frequently presents to the General Practitioner (GP). In some cases, it can be misdiagnosed with consequent delay in the initiation of appropriate treatment.

OBJECTIVES

To analyse the diagnostic features of AAU presenting to the emergency service at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital; to investigate the prior management of AAU in the community and identify management problems amenable to constructive feedback.

METHODS

A list of reasonable standards expected from primary carers was compiled and information collected prospectively by nurse practitioners over two months using a specifically designed pro-forma. Data was analysed against these standards and compared to the relevant literature.

RESULTS

Of the AAU patients 18/69 had previously seen the GP. 14 had first episodes, 4 were recurrent. Mean interval between symptom onset and eye emergency attendance was 9.2 days compared to 4.3 days for those not seen by GP. Symptoms elicited, in those previously seen by a GP, were: ocular pain (18/18); photophobia (17/18); unilateral red eye (17/18); and blurred vision (15/18). GP performed ocular examination in 12 patients. Seven patients were not treated by GP but referred on the same day. The other 11 patients were prescribed topical antibiotics by GP and 2/11 also received topical steroid. 9 of these 11 patients eventually self-checked into eye emergency, whereas two were subsequently referred after re-visiting the GP.

CONCLUSION

A significant number of AAU patients present to the GP and may be misdiagnosed with an alternative condition such as conjunctivitis. Awareness of AAU presentation and the need for prompt referral, to avoid potential visual loss, needs to be improved by providing feedback to GPs following patient attendance to eye emergency services.