You are here

Responses

Article menu

Download PDFPDF

XML
Original research
Ophthalmology practice during the COVID-19 pandemic
Compose a Response to This Article
Compose Response

More information about text formats

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
Author Information
First or given name, e.g. 'Peter'.
Your last, or family, name, e.g. 'MacMoody'.
Your email address, e.g. higgs-boson@gmail.com
Your role and/or occupation, e.g. 'Orthopedic Surgeon'.
Your organization or institution (if applicable), e.g. 'Royal Free Hospital'.
Statement of Competing Interests

PLEASE NOTE:

  • A rapid response is a moderated but not peer reviewed online response to a published article in a BMJ journal; it will not receive a DOI and will not be indexed unless it is also republished as a Letter, Correspondence or as other content. Find out more about rapid responses.
  • We intend to post all responses which are approved by the Editor, within 14 days (BMJ Journals) or 24 hours (The BMJ), however timeframes cannot be guaranteed. Responses must comply with our requirements and should contribute substantially to the topic, but it is at our absolute discretion whether we publish a response, and we reserve the right to edit or remove responses before and after publication and also republish some or all in other BMJ publications, including third party local editions in other countries and languages
  • Our requirements are stated in our rapid response terms and conditions and must be read. These include ensuring that: i) you do not include any illustrative content including tables and graphs, ii) you do not include any information that includes specifics about any patients,iii) you do not include any original data, unless it has already been published in a peer reviewed journal and you have included a reference, iv) your response is lawful, not defamatory, original and accurate, v) you declare any competing interests, vi) you understand that your name and other personal details set out in our rapid response terms and conditions will be published with any responses we publish and vii) you understand that once a response is published, we may continue to publish your response and/or edit or remove it in the future.
  • By submitting this rapid response you are agreeing to our terms and conditions for rapid responses and understand that your personal data will be processed in accordance with those terms and our privacy notice.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Vertical Tabs

Other responses

Jump to comment:

  • Published on: 18 May 2020
    Reponse: Ophthalmology practice during the COVID-19 pandemic
    • Shahzad Shafquat, Consultant Ophthalmologist Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust
    • Other Contributors:
      • Trystan Macdonald, Ophthalmology Specialty Trainee Year 3
      • Syed Wajid, Specialty Doctor in Ophthalmology
      • Usman Saeed, Consultant Ophthalmologist

    Thank-you to the authors for sharing their departmental protocol based current international research and recommendations [1]. We have put in place many of the precautions outlined however wished to share our recent experience with regard to intravitreal injections (IVI), and additional measures put in place as a result.

    IVIs have continued in our service for sight threatening pathology throughout the UK government lockdown of the past 8 weeks. Patients have self-isolated for 7 days prior to their procedure and are screened for symptoms of COVID19 or contacts before attendance. Arriving at our facility they wash their hands, don a surgical mask and have their temperature, oxygen saturations and blood pressure checked. Social distancing is maintained in waiting areas by blocking alternate seats as mentioned.

    For the procedure itself the patient is draped and injectors wear sterile gloves, a theatre gown and a fluid resistant surgical mask as per national guidance [2].

    There was no protocol to routinely test patients attending for IVI at our units for coronavirus, however tests were performed on four consecutive injection lists on 4th and 5th May. 48 patients were tested with a mean age of 76 years (range 54-92). 2 (4%) tested positive despite being asymptomatic. They were asked not to attend and will be rescheduled. 4 (13%) decided not to attend voluntarily.

    As mentioned by the authors retinal services tend to serve an elderly population with a...

    Show More
    Conflict of Interest:
    None declared.