Quick and easy eye test for young children now available at Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare Dhahran

Point-and-click Spot® Vision Screener scans for six eye conditions in seconds.

Parents who have concerns about the eyesight of their young children can now visit Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare Dhahran for fast, on-the-spot vision screening.

The Pediatric Primary Care Unit at Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare Dhahran has introduced a Spot® Vision Screener, an advanced device that can detect six vision issues in children as young as six months with a quick point-and-click scan that generates results in seconds.

The Spot® Vision Screener is an alternative to chart-based vision testing, in which a clinician asks a patient to read letters on a board that gradually decrease in size. This can be difficult, if not impossible, for children who are still learning the alphabet, and for those with special needs.

With the Spot® Vision Screener, children under four years old with suspected eyesight issues who are unable to undertake chart-based testing, and children with special needs of all ages who have suspected eyesight issues and are unable to undertake chart-based testing, no longer need to be referred to the optometry clinic, which could mean waiting for several weeks to be seen. Now, a primary care nurse can simply tap a button on the Spot® Vision Screener to scan for myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, anisocoria, strabismus, and anisometropia.

The screener automatically captures an image of a child’s eyes from three feet away and requires them only to look at a colored light display on the side of the device. If the device indicates that the child is at risk of one or more of the six eye conditions, the nurse will immediately arrange for further testing.

Dr. Noor Al Naji, Head of the Pediatric Primary Care Unit at Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, said: “As a parent, you may have noticed that your child is squinting, or sitting unusually close to the television, or closing their eyes to see things that are far away. If so — or if you have noticed any other unusual behavior that indicates they have problems with their eyesight — please book an appointment with us right away.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that vision screening for children be repeated regularly throughout childhood as part of routine health care visits and says that instrument-based testing can begin from 12 months onwards.

New non-invasive bilirubin screening device

The Pediatric Primary Care Unit at Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare Dhahran has also introduced a non-invasive screening device that measures bilirubin levels in children’s blood.

The point-and-click device works much like a non-invasive thermometer. It means that fewer children need to give blood to have their bilirubin levels checked.