Content area
Full Text
Introduction
Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is a severe inflammatory disease that affects children and adolescents with seasonal variation. It was first described more than 150 years ago. It is also known as conjunctivitis lymphatica, spring catarrh, circumcorneal hypertrophy, recurrent vegetative conjunctivitis, and verrucosa conjunctivitis.
Although VKC has always been considered an allergic disorder, its etiology and immunopathogenesis remain unclear. Diagnosis is based on signs and symptoms that include itching, photophobia, sticky mucous discharge, giant papillae on the upper tarsal conjunctiva or at the limbus, superficial keratopathy, and corneal shield ulcer.1–4
Most patients do not have a familial or personal history of atopic disease and cannot be detected using the standard allergic diagnostic tests. Due to its seasonal recurrence and gross visual morbidity among children, VKC makes the caregivers of these children anxious and worried about the prognosis. The long course of the disease promotes excessive use of over-the-counter drugs, especially the use of steroid eye drops, which have side effects with long-term use. Treatment of VKC requires a multifactoral approach that includes conservative measures and pharmacologic treatment. Caregivers play a critical role from visiting the ophthalmologist to use of eye drops and follow-up. This study was conducted to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practice among caregivers of children with VKC to determine their level of understanding about this disease and factors that affect compliance with medical advice and compel them to use over-the-counter medicines.
Patients and Methods
This hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2018 to February 2019 in a tertiary care pediatric hospital in northern India after receiving approval from the institutional ethical committee. Caregivers (parents or guardians) of children (younger than 14 years) with more than two episodes of VKC in a year and those who agreed to provide a written informed consent were included in this study. Children with a first episode of VKC, caregivers unwilling to provide a written consent, and children with other comorbidities of the eye such as glaucoma or conjunctivitis for which they were receiving other topical treatment were excluded from the study.
Children fulfilling inclusion and exclusion criteria during the study period who presented to the outpatient department of ophthalmology with a history or symptoms of ocular allergy underwent a detailed ophthalmological examination. Ocular examination was...