Incidence of Acute Allergic Conjunctivitis in Workers at the Port of Santos

Objective: To evaluate the incidence of acute atopic conjunctivitis in the port environment. Methods: This is a descriptive, retrospective study involving 365 worker patients from the Port of Santos and 365 patients not related with port activities (control group). All patients were seen at the same private hospital in the city of Santos. Data were obtained by reviewing the electronic medical records of each patient related to the admission exam (initial) and to any assistance due to ocular allergic symptoms (red eyes) between 2019 and 2021. The analyzed data included age, sex, port section (port workers), refraction, time of symptom onset, disease history, treatment, and clinical outcome. Data were statistically assessed by the Chi-square test. Results: All patents were male. The mean age (34 ± 12 vs 35 ± 11 years) and the prevalence of refractive errors were similar between groups. In contrast, ocular allergic symptoms were significantly higher in group of port workers (34%) compared with non-port workers (17%), p < 0.0001. Likewise, episodes related to ocular allergy were more frequent in port workers, p < 0.05. Workers with activities related to bulk handling were the most affected. Conclusions: The incidence of acute allergic conjunctivitis in port workers requires attention from health authorities. This may lead to prevention and a better understanding of the epidemiology of the disease.