The importance of eye screenings for the detection of diabetic retinopathy and the prevention of vision degradation and blindness

Uvod: Diabetična retinopatija predstavlja enega glavnih vzrokov slepote pri sladkornih bolnikih. S presejalnimi očesnimi pregledi lahko spremembe na očesnem ozadju pravočasno opazimo. Namen zaključnega dela je raziskati pomen presejalnih očesnih pregledov za zmanjšanje incidence izgube vida pri bolnikih s sladkorno boleznijo. Metode: Izvedli smo narativni pregled znanstvene in strokovne literature s področja raziskovalne tematike. Članke smo iskali v mednarodnih podatkovnih bazah PubMed, Wiley Online Library in Cochrane Library. Uporabili smo deskriptivno metodo in metodo analize in sinteze identificiranih virov. Članke smo razvrstili glede na hierarhično strukturo. Rezultati: Izmed 176 zadetkov smo v končno analizo vključili osem člankov. Ugotovili smo, da redni intervali presejalnih pregledov med sladkornimi bolniki izboljšajo odkrivanje in preprečujejo poslabšanje vida ali slepote. Razprava in zaključek: Pomembna sta informiranje in spodbujanje sladkornih bolnikov, da se presejalnih pregledov redno udeležujejo. Prav tako je izrednega pomena sodelovanje zdravnikov družinske medicine in oftalmologov, da se bolnika pravočasno napoti na pregled očesnega ozadja.Introduction: Diabetic retinopathy is one of the main causes of blindness in diabetic patients. With eye screenings changes in the eye fundus can be detected in a timely manner. The goal of the thesis is to explore the importance of eye screenings for the reduction of the incidence of vision loss in diabetic patients. Methods: We carried out a narrative review of scientific and technical literature addressing the research topic. The articles were retrieved from the international databases PubMed, Wiley Online Library and Cochrane Library. We applied the descriptive method and the method of analysis and synthesis of identified sources. We classified the articles according to a hierarchical structure. Results: From the 176 collected articles, eight were included the final analysis. We concluded that regular screenings for diabetic patients improve the detection of vision degradation or blindness, and prevent them. Discussion and conclusion: It is vital to inform and encourage diabetic patients to have regular screenings. Moreover, it is extremely important that general practitioners and ophthalmologist cooperate and refer patients for eye fundus exams in a timely manner