Drive-through pressure checks offer effective glaucoma monitoring during pandemic
Drive-through IOP checks allow safe management of high-risk glaucoma patients during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, according to a poster presented at the virtual American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.
Taylor Phelps, MD, and colleagues at LSU Department of Ophthalmology, New Orleans, set up a drive-through checkpoint, measuring IOP of 42 patients over a 3-week period.
“The goal of this project was to look at what we could to do to follow up on glaucoma patients, who, even during a global pandemic need to be followed, and have their pressure checked to make sure they are not losing vision or destabilizing,” Phelps said.
To minimize the risk for virus transmission, patients were pre-scheduled at 5-minute intervals and were pre-screened before arrival. Technicians wore full PPE, including a gown, face shield, N95 mask and two sets of gloves. After each patient was seen, the outer layer of gloves was removed and the base glove sanitized.
Every screened patient had a follow-up telemedicine appointment. Treatment was changed for six patients whose drop regimens were updated, and one patient was scheduled for a surgical procedure.
Four patients required an in-person follow-up in less than 1 month. If the patient’s IOP was increased at the time of the check, an ophthalmologist was informed.
Glaucoma patients need follow-up “no matter what the circumstances,” Phelps said. “Coming up with novel ideas has really helped these patients during this time.”
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Al-Dujaili L, et al. Drive through eye pressure checks: A novel idea in a time of a global pandemic. Presented at: American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting; Nov. 13-15, 2020 (virtual meeting).
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