Perfil socioeconômico dos pacientes do ambulatório de glaucoma do Complexo Hospitalar Universitário Professor Edgar Santos da Universidade Federal da Bahia

Abstract

Introduction: Glaucoma is an optic neuropathy that has an insidious evolution and presents itself as an important cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. The patients' socioeconomic characteristics might substantially interfere in the therapeutic adherence of this disease, a condition that can impair the effective control of intraocular pressure. Objective: Describing the socioeconomic profile of the patients attending the glaucoma ambulatory at Professor Edgar Santos University Hospital, evaluating the association between the economic condition and adherence to antiglaucomatous drug therapy. Methodology: Descriptive cross-sectional study using a convenience sample of 40 patients followed up at the Magalhães Neto Glaucoma ambulatory, part of the Professor Edgard Santos Hospital Complex. Data were collected from an interview with pacients through a questionnaire requesting information about monthly family income, occupation, monthly expenses with antiglaucomatous medication, number of antiglaucomatous eye drops in use, family history of glaucoma, age, sex, and a question about stopped using the medication because of the lack of resources. Results: It was observed that 55% of the patients were pensioners or retirees, 45% had a family income of up to 1 minimum wage, 42.5% did not need to buy their eye drops because they received the medication through the Unified Health System, while 22, 5% of the patients compromised between 10% and 24% of the monthly family income when purchasing the medications, 37.5% already suspended treatment due to the lack of financial conditions for the purchase of medications and 12.5% of the respondents did not know about the distribution of Government medicines. Conclusions: The population studied has low socioeconomic status, which has been shown to be an interference factor in therapeutic adherence when there is a need to buy antiglaucomatous eye drops.