Background: Hospitalization for eye care is required for different reasons. The pattern of admissions into the ophthalmic
wards of a sub-urban tertiary hospital was studied.
Methodology: Records of patients admitted into the Ophthalmology wards of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching
Hospitals Complex Ile-Ife from January 2004 to December 2007 were reviewed and the age, sex, duration of admission and
diagnosis recorded. Data was analyzed with SPSS version 13 and statistical significance inferred at P<0.05.
Results: Of the 523 patients admitted, 60.2% were males while 39.8% were females (P<0.0001); the male preponderance
becomes less prominent with increasing age (P=0.001). The duration of admission ranged between 2 and 24 days with a
mean of 2.86± 1.95 days and 63% were admitted for 3 days. The main indications for admission were cataract (58.3%),
ocular trauma (14.3%) and glaucoma (13.4%). Eye injuries were more common among children and young adults while
cataract and glaucoma were the leading indications in the middle aged and elderly.
Conclusion: Cataract, trauma and glaucoma were the leading indications for ophthalmic hospitalization. Human and
infrastructural development of the ophthalmology unit should lay emphasis on the more prevalent needs to enhance
effective and efficient management of these diseases.
