SURVIVAL ANALYSIS OF TIME TO BLINDNESS OF GLAUCOMA PATIENTS AT FELEGE HIWOT REFERRAL HOSPITAL, BAHIR DAR, ETHIOPIA

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify factors that affect the time to the blindness of glaucoma patients.

Design: This study was a retrospective, single-center cohort.

Participants: The medical charts of 328 randomly selected glaucoma patients under the follow-up from January 2014 to December 2018 were included.

Methods: A Cox proportional hazard model was employed to identify the risk factors of the blindness of glaucoma patients.

Main Outcome Measures: Coefficients of the Cox proportional hazard models.

Results: The Cox proportional hazard model showed that age (HR=1.018; P = 0.0344), had high blood pressure (HR=2.813; P < 0.0001), had diabetic disease (HR=1.595; P = 0.0442), the timolol with pilocarpine medication (HR=0.554; P = 0.0043), medium duration of treatment (HR = 0.0225; P < 0.0001), long duration of treatment (HR=0.0004; P < 0.0001), the cup- disk ratio greater than 0.7 (HR= 3.699; P < 0.0001) were a significant factor with glaucoma patients.

Conclusions: The age, blood pressure, diabetic disease, type of medication, duration of treatment, and cup-disk ratio were statistically significant factors on time to the blindness of glaucoma patients. Therefore, authorities and other concerned bodies give greater attention to reduce the chance of blindness of glaucoma patients by creating a focus for patients approximately irreversible blindness because of glaucoma disease.