H54: Blindness and low vision
H54.8: Legal blindness, as defined in USA

inclusionTerm
Blindness NOS according to USA definition

excludes1
legal blindness with specification of impairment level (H54.0-H54.7)

notes
The table below gives a classification of severity of visual impairment recommended by a WHO Study Group on the Prevention of Blindness, Geneva, 6-10 November 1972.
The term 'low vision' in category H54 comprises categories 1 and 2 of the table, the term 'blindness' categories 3, 4 and 5, and the term 'unqualified visual loss' category 9.
If the extent of the visual field is taken into account, patients with a field no greater than 10 but greater than 5 around central fixation should be placed in category 3 and patients with a field no greater than 5 around central fixation should be placed in category 4, even if the central acuity is not impaired.

visualImpairment

visCategory
Category of visual impairment

visRange
Visual acuity with best possible correction

visMax
Maximum less than:

visMin
Minimum equal to or better than:

visCategory
1

visRange

visMax
6/18

visMin
6/60

visRange

visMax
3/10(0.3)

visMin
1/10(0.1)

visRange

visMax
20/70

visMin
20/200

visCategory
2

visRange

visMax
6/60

visMin
3/60

visRange

visMax
1/10(0.1)

visMin
1/20(0.05)

visRange

visMax
20/200

visMin
20/400

visCategory
3

visRange

visMax
3/60

visMin
1/60(finger counting at one meter)

visRange

visMax
1/20(0.05)

visMin
1/50(0.02)

visRange

visMax
20/400

visMin
5/300(20/1200)

visCategory
4

visRange

visMax
1/60(finger counting at one meter)

visMin
Light perception

visRange

visMax
1/50(0.02)

visRange

visMax
5/300

visCategory
5

visRange

visMax
No light perception

visCategory
9

visRange

visMax
Undetermined or unspecified

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