Introduction: Chronic dacryocystitis results in chronic infection and inflammation of the lacrimal sac.Objective: To identify the aetiology of chronic dacryocystitis and to determine their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern. Materials and methods:A cross -sectional study was undertaken including 120 lacrimal swab materials collected from patients aged above 15 years suffering from chronic dacryocystitis.Statistics: Data analysis was done by using software "Win pepi'' ver 7.9. Results:The bacteria of eight different species were isolated from 76.66 % (92/120) culture positive samples. 85.86 % showed a single and 14.13 % showed a mixed growth pattern. Coagulase negative staphylococci were the most common bacteria (P= 0.018) accounting for 33.96 % followed by Staphylococcus aureus (25.46 %), Streptococcus pneumoniae ( 19.81 % ), Streptococci viridans (5.66 %), Escherichia coli (5.66 %), Haemophilus spp ( 4.71 % ), Streptococcus pyogenes (3.77 %) and Bacillus spp (0.94 % ). Staphylococcus aureus were the most predominant bacteria in mixed growth. Rate of infection was higher in males 81.39 % than in females 74.02 %. Infection was higher in the age group of above 31 years. In the antimicrobial susceptibility test, except staphylococcus aureus, all the Gram positive isolates were 100 % sensitive to chloramphenicol and were least sensitive to tobramycin, but Gram negative isolates were equally sensitive to Chloramphenicol and Nalidixic acid. Conclusion:Coagulase negative staphylococci are the most frequently isolated bacteria. Staphylococcus aureus is predominantly found in mixed growth. Chloramphenicol is the most effective drug of choice for chronic dacryocystitis.

The prevalence of refractive error in the school children of Nepal is 19.8 %. The students from urban settings are more likely to have refractive error than their rural counterparts.

BackgroundLeprosy remains a major stigmatizing condition. Stigma is a dynamic process resulting from the interaction between physical attributes caused by leprosy and the existing stereotypes in a community. Leprosy has pervasive impacts on all areas of life including psychosocial burden to an individual, social interaction, marriage, and employment. These impacts vary and are largely dependent on a particular culture and community. The main objective of this study was to explore the perceived stigma of leprosy amongst community members and health care providers in Lalitpur district of Nepal.MethodsA total of six focused group discussions (FGDs) with 43 participants from a community living close to Anandaban Leprosy Hospital and ten semi structured interviews (SSIs) with health care providers were conducted between October and December 2016. An interview guide was used for the FGDs and SSIs. All qualitative data were transcribed and translated into English and were thematically analyzed using Atlas.ti software.ResultsVisible deformities due to leprosy was one of the major contributing factors for stigma. Stigma was further exacerbated by an attitude to conceal the disease due to perceived fear of potential discrimination. While over the years, stigma was felt to be decreasing, various aspects of life were still affected by leprosy stigma including marriage, employment and social interaction. This was largely attributed to leprosy and its consequences, specifically the disability and deformity caused by leprosy.ConclusionLeprosy was still perceived to be feared and concealed because of potential discrimination, even within the community that was close to a long established leprosy hospital. Various aspects such as marriage, employment and social interaction were still affected by the stigma which was strongly associated with visible deformities. In addition to ongoing rehabilitation and stigma reduction programs, integrating strategies such as community engagement wherein community and leprosy affected person jointly take a role in stigma reduction programs can be helpful.

PurposeTo study the causes of blindness and visual impairment in children in three ecologically diverse regions of Nepal.Materials and methodsThis is a baseline survey report of a 3-year longitudinal population-based study. One district each from the three ecological regions – Terai, Hills, and Mountains – was selected for the study. Village Development Committees from each district were selected by random sampling. Three community health workers were given training on vision screening and identification of abnormal ocular conditions in children. Health workers who examined children and collected data using pretested questionnaire performed house-to-house surveys. Children with abnormal vision or ocular conditions were referred to and examined by pediatric ophthalmologists.ResultsA total of 10,950 children aged 0–10 years, 5,403 from Terai, 3,204 from Hills, and 2,343 from Mountains, were enrolled in the study. Of them, 681 (6.2%) were nonresponders. The ratio of boys to girls was 1.03:1. Prevalence of blindness was 0.068% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.02%–0.12%) and visual impairment was 0.097% (95% CI 0.04%–0.15%). Blindness was relatively more prevalent in Terai region (0.08%, 95% CI 0.02%–0.13%). The most common cause of blindness was amblyopia (42.9%) followed by congenital cataract. Corneal opacity (39%) was the most common cause of unilateral blindness.ConclusionMore than two-thirds of the causes that lead to blindness and visual impairment were potentially preventable. Further, nutritional and genetic studies are needed to determine the factors associated with ocular morbidity and blindness in these regions.

Purpose:The purpose of this study is to assess the magnitude and determinants of refractive error among school children of Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts in Kathmandu Valley of Nepal.Materials and Methods:A descriptive study was carried out in 2003 in four schools; two in each district. A detailed ocular examination was conducted of all children attending these schools and that included visual acuity testing, slit lamp examination, fundus evaluation, retinoscopy, cycloplegic refraction and subjective refraction. Myopia was defined as more than −0.5 D and hypermetropia was defined as error of more than +1 D.Results:A total of 2000 students of 5-16 years of age were examined. The prevalence of refractive error was 8.60% (95% confidence interval [CI] 7.37-9.83). The prevalence of myopia was 6.85% (95% CI 5.74-7.96). The best-corrected visual acuity was 6/9 or less in the eye of 12.8% children with refractive error.Conclusions:Refractive error is of public health magnitude among school children of 14-16 years of age. School screening program in countries like Nepal for early detection of treatable disease is useful to detect and correct refractive error in older students.