Early Detection of Diabetic Retinopathy: Experience in a Family medicine unit of Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas, Mexico

Abstract

Objective: To identify the frequency of retinal damage in patients with newly diagnosed DM2 and its timely referral. Methods: A prospective, descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out at Family Medicine Unit No. 77 of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), which included patients with recently diagnosed DM2 (<6 months) who registered retinal changes and who were referred to the ophthalmology outpatient clinic, with prior informed consent. The study was approved by the IMSS Research Ethics Committee. Results: a total of 63 patients were included, the frequency of retinal damage found was 28.6%. Direct ophthalmoscopy was performed in 36.5% of the patients, timely referral was 28.5%. Counter-referral revealed the following distribution of DR: mild non-proliferative retinopathy (PNR) in 3.2%, moderate PNR in 3.2%, severe PNR in only one case (1.6%), while proliferative retinopathy was observed in 3.2% of the population. Conclusion: regular examinations in newly diagnosed DM2 patients are effective for detection and monitoring of asymptomatic DR. Our data suggest that screening for DR should be performed at the time of DM2 diagnosis and annually or every two years thereafter.