Review of Optometry articles from August 2004

Review of Optometry archives from August 2004

InSite Vision's AzaSite.(In the News)(InSite Vision Inc.' product development)(Brief Article)
August 15, 2004... InSite Vision's AzaSite treatment for acute bacterial conjunctivitis has entered Phase III clinical testing.

The Cooper Companies will acquire Ocular Sciences Inc., in a merger of stock and cash valued at $44.00 per share.(In the News)(Cooper Companies Inc.)(Brief Article)
August 15, 2004... The Cooper Companies will acquire Ocular Sciences, Inc., in a merger of stock and cash valued at $44.00 per share. The merger is expected to close later this year.

Advanced Medical Optics.(In the News)(Advanced Medical Optics Inc. acquired Pfizer Inc.'s ophthalmic business)(Brief Article)
August 15, 2004... Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) has completed its $450 million acquisition of Pfizer's ophthalmic surgical business.

Addition Technology's Intacs.(In the News)(product approval)(Brief Article)
August 15, 2004... Addition Technology's Intacs prescription inserts are now FDA-approved for the reduction or elimination of myopia and astigmatism in keratoconus patients who can no longer achieve functional vision with eyeglasses or contact lenses.

Allergan.(In the News)(Allergan Inc.'s drug approval)(Brief Article)
August 15, 2004... Allergan has received an FDA approvable letter for its Lumigan/timolol combination drop (bimatoprost 0.03%/timolol 0.05%) for the treatment of glaucoma.

World Council of Optometry.(In the News)(Brief Article)
August 15, 2004... The World Council of Optometry (WCO) has been admitted into official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO). The WCO is the first and only optometric organization to receive this designation.

ASCRS to limit O.D.s at meeting: the O.D.s allowed in must sign a statement disavowing surgery.(News Review)(American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Doctor of Optometry)
August 15, 2004... The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery says it will limit registration of optometrists attending its annual symposium. Only two types of O.D.s will be able to attend: O.Ds who are directly employed by ophthalmologists who are...

VA policy: optometrists can use lasers ... under ophthalmologists' supervision.(News Review)(Department of Veterans Affairs)
August 15, 2004... Optometrists practicing within the Veterans Health Administration can perform therapeutic laser procedures, but only if they are fully trained, appropriately licensed--and do so under the supervision of an ophthalmologist, under a new policy...

CIBA and B & L settle contact lens patent suits.(News Review)
August 15, 2004... Bausch & Lomb and CIBA Vision have reached a final settlement agreement in patent infringement lawsuits over silicone hydrogel contact lens materials in federal district courts in Georgia, Delaware and New York, as well as suits in Germany,...

Maryland O.D.s file suit over Davis Vision contract.(News Review)
August 15, 2004... The Maryland Optometric Association filed an antitrust suit last month against Davis Vision Inc. and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield in the U.S. District Court of Maryland, alleging that Davis Vision and CareFirst have unlawfully restrained...

Study: Latinos have high levels of eye disease.(News Review)(Hispanic Americans)
August 15, 2004... Latinos have a higher rate of severe vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy than whites, according to results of the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study, which represents the largest, most comprehensive effort to track the causes of blindness and...

Technology needs a human touch: the bells and whistles are worthless if they're not coupled with the right message--and messenger.(Editorial)
August 15, 2004... I'd be willing to bet that someday soon, I'll be able to preorder my Starbucks coffee so that it's waiting for me when I arrive, and my credit card automatically will be charged when I pick it up. I'm sure I'll be able to rush in and out, but...

The doctor is out to lunch: this low-carb article goes best with a low-carb sandwich and a low-carb water.(Chairside)
August 15, 2004... Dr. Vickers is on vacation this month. Here's a classic "Chairside" from August 1994. Every day around noon, a fairly consistent mix of meats, breads and pickles screams toward the pit of my stomach like a pack of starving dogs, barking...

Not all M.D.s are against us.(Letters & E-mail)
August 15, 2004... In the editorial, "The Marriage of Education and Ethics," (Editor's Page, May 2004) I think Editor-in-Chief Amy Black missed an important point. Ophthalmologists and AAO members rarely adhere to the political positions put forth by the American...

The role of the modern optometrist.(Letters & E-mail)
August 15, 2004... In a previous issue, Samuel J. Simon, O.D., expressed his concern about the direction of optometric training and the profession's emphasis on developing "diagnostic doctors," (Letters & E-mail, June 2004). While his observations regarding the...

Starting up cold: it can be done; But it takes planning and tolerance for debt.(Practice Management)
August 15, 2004... With student debt sky-rocketing and commercial paychecks beckoning, optometry school graduates are not exactly rushing out to hang a shingle. Yet, even in recent years, a few took the risk and opened their own private practices. Still, they're...

Allergy challenge series III: the other allergy season; Identifying allergy patients is the first key to successful allergy management.
August 15, 2004... When spring and seasonal allergic conjunctivitis arrive, airborne pollens begin to induce the itching, redness, chemosis and tearing of ocular allergy. As the season progresses, however, patients' concerns of ocular allergy can fall out of the...

Six steps to becoming an ortho-K expert: there are many ways to bring this new modality into your office. Here, your colleagues give a step-by-step guide.(Contact Lenses)
August 15, 2004... After leaving a busy group practice to go solo, optometrist Shane Keddie, of Advanced Eyecare in Alberta, Canada, wanted to differentiate his practice from standard primary vision care. Initially, he was interested in comanaging LASIK and PRK...

New contact lens designs and materials: a comprehensive list of new designs and materials constructed to fit your patients' varying needs.(Contact Lenses)
August 15, 2004... When approached by his publisher (Elsevier) to do a third edition of Manual of Contact Lens Prescribing and Fitting with CD-ROM, optometrist Milton M. Hom, of Azusa, Calif., was reluctant. But, he changed his mind after he reviewed the 2000...

Don't fall victim to autumn allergies: autumn allergies are often overlooked. By identifying their causes and symptoms, you can improve your patients' quality of life.(Allergy)
August 15, 2004... For allergy patients, fall often means relief from the lush summer foliage that's responsible for much of their misery. But, just because the fall doesn't look like the summer or spring doesn't mean it's not also a viable allergy season. ...

Adaptive optics makes waves in eye care: potential clinical applications of wavefront technology go beyond LASIK.(27th Annual Technology Report)(Cover Story)
August 15, 2004... Of all the advances in vision care in the last 25 years, wavefront analysis perhaps has the broadest potential applications. Although it was spawned from the refractive surgery revolution of the past 10 to 15 years, wavefront technology is...

Peripheral arterial vascular disease and its consequences: PAVD indicates poor overall general health of the blood vasculature. Here's the latest research about risk factors and treatment.(Optometric Study Center)
August 15, 2004... When patients present with blurred vision or retinal changes, we sometimes must look beyond the eyes. In fact, these may be the first signs of peripheral arterial vascular disease (PAVD). PAVD is a sign of advanced atherosclerosis. It...

Corneal hypoxia is history: Dr. McMahon reviews the role of oxygen in the corneal health of contact lens wearers.(Interview)
August 15, 2004... Timothy T. McMahon, O.D., Professor and Director of the Contact Lens Service at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, is an academic clinician. While he trains ophthalmology residents regarding...

Recruit dismissed after drusen are discovered: patients with optic nerve head drusen often present without complaint.(Case Report)
August 15, 2004... A 19-year-old white male, a recruit at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, presented to update his spectacle prescription and receive his boot camp glasses. He complained that his distance vision had decreased with his current glasses,...

Is headache really a migraine? Know what signs and symptoms indicate a more serious problem.(Comanagement Q & A)
August 15, 2004... Q Many patients present complaining of "migraine" headaches, but often have not been diagnosed. How can I determine the etiology of the headache? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A According to the International Headache Society (IHS), close to...

How significant is MRSA resistance? Or are in-vitro results another interesting lab finding?(Cornea & Contact Lens Q & A)
August 15, 2004... Q A 2004 ARVO report showed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates to be resistant to fourth-generation fluoroquinolones. How serious is the potential for emerging resistance, given that the data reflected in-vitro testing?...

Blur, flashes occur at once: patient presents with ocular manifestations of systemic disease.(Retina Quiz)
August 15, 2004... A 35-year-old white male presented with blurred vision in both eyes for the past three to four weeks. He said that the vision loss occurred gradually. He also began to experience flashes and floaters in both eyes around the same time. ...

Ocular herpes treatment plan: how you should treat the various forms of periocular infection.(Therapeutic Review)
August 15, 2004... Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is the most common infective cause of blindness in developed countries, with a reported incidence of 5.9 to 20.7 episodes per 100,000 persons each year. (1) In 1992, the National Eye Institute (NEI) sponsored the...

Contact lenses: correcting spherical aberrations.(Product Review)(Brief Article)
August 15, 2004... Ocular Sciences now offers a soft, spherical, disposable contact lens that corrects for spherical aberrations in the lens and the patient's eye. Spherical aberration is caused by light refracting at varying degrees as it passes through the...

Dry eye: Lagophthalmos Kit.(Product Review)(Brief Article)
August 15, 2004... Gulden Ophthalmics now offers another option for your patients with lagophthalmos. The company's Lagophthalmos Kit includes a pair of moisture goggles to protect the patient's eyes from wind and particulates during the day. And, a headband...

Moisture mask.(Product Review)(Brief Article)
August 15, 2004... Tranquileyes is a new eye mask that is designed to provide relief from dry eye by increasing humidity around the eye to prevent the evaporation of natural tears. Each pair of tranquileyes is a sculpted eye cover cushioned with fabric-lined,...

Contact lens drops.(Product Review)(Brief Article)
August 15, 2004... Hyaluronate (HA) is a natural lubricant found throughout the body. Advanced Medical Optics' new rewetting drops for contact lens wearers, blink Contacts, employs HA to moisturize eyes. HA has viscoelastic properties that mimic the behavior of...

Low vision: computer magnifier.(Product Review)(Brief Article)
August 15, 2004... The new Explorer CCTV system from Scientifics is designed to help your low vision patients with daily activities such as reading, writing checks or letters, and viewing photographs or magazines. This manual focus system includes a 20-inch color...

Screening card.(Product Review)(Brief Article)
August 15, 2004... SightCare, the Jewish Guild for the Blind's information, education and training program, has published a low vision screening card entitled, Functional Screening for Patients with Vision Loss. The two-sided, laminated card fits in the pocket of...

Low vision LCD.(Product Review)(Brief Article)
August 15, 2004... Two new portable digital magnification products are available from Enhanced Vision. The company's new LCD platform is designed to integrate an LCD screen with the Max and Flipper magnification systems. The Max system is designed to help...

Patient education: protecting kids from UV damage.(Product Review)(Brief Article)
August 15, 2004... Damage from exposure to ultraviolet light is cumulative and may contribute to age-related diseases. With that in mind, Transitions developed new marketing materials to help doctors educate parents about the importance of protecting their...

Ophthalmic frames: Airlock technology.(Product Review)(Brief Article)
August 15, 2004... Marchon has added four new three-piece mount styles to its Airlock line of frames. Each is constructed of flexible beta-titanium. * The Airlock 760 series of hinged frames now features "prism" colors. A special light-refractive coating...

Vogue.(Product Review)(Brief Article)
August 15, 2004... The Vogue frame collection from Luxottica has added five new frames to its ophthalmic line. * Two plastic frames are offered in a color palette including plum/rose, demiblonde/caramel, black/lite blue, chipped tortoise and more. VO 2302...

Whats new on the web?(Brief Article)
August 15, 2004... ScienceBased Health offers practitioners a comprehensive source for information on eye health, with a focus on the role of nutrition in eye care. This online resource features the latest scientific research and contains a monthly newsletter and...

Wavefront refraction.(Annual Diagnostic Technology Report)(Brief Article)
August 15, 2004... The Z-View Aberrometer from Ophthonix uses wavefront technology to measure high-and low-order aberrations and creates a prescription lens in less than a minute. The Z-View provides objective wavefront measurements using through-lens optics,...

30 second refraction.(Annual Diagnostic Technology Report)(Brief Article)
August 15, 2004... Marco has introduced a new technology that can reduce refraction time to as little as 30 seconds. Specialized software employs vector analysis to measure higher order aberrations and blends the aberrations into a traditional Rx. 30 second...

Meetings & conferences.(Calendar)
August 15, 2004... August * 22. Glaucoma Update 2004, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Sponsored by Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry. CE hours: 8. Contact Shakara Rosenbaum, NSU College of Optometry, 3200 S. University Drive, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328;...

Sudden sight loss in sickle cell case.(Diagnostic Quiz)(Brief Article)
August 15, 2004... History A 53-year-old black female presented with the chief complaint of a sudden onset of poor vision in the right eye for two days duration. Her systemic history was positive for sickle cell anemia. Diagnostic Data Her best...

Raise your diagnostic standard with the Optomap Retinal Exam: is your BIO exam the best retina evaluation that you can provide your patients?
August 15, 2004... A dilated retinal examination is the current standard of care in this country, but how is new technology impacting standards? The goal of any retinal examination is to determine whether the optic nerve head and macula are normal; to check for...

The prevalence of eye disease: practitioners tend to focus on the big three--AMD, DR and glaucoma--but many other ocular abnormalities can be spotted with new technology.
August 15, 2004... We live in an aging population, which of course means that disease in general and eye disease specifically is increasing in prevalence. Right now, one in 28 Americans older than 40--a total of about 3.3 million people--suffers from blindness or...

Disease detection with Optomap: the Optomap Retinal Exam has allowed this doctor's practice to deliver higher-quality care.
August 15, 2004... Before the late 1980s, optometrists' ability to detect pathology was limited: we were using direct ophthalmoscopes, with a narrow field of view. After the passage of diagnostic pharmaceutical laws allowed ODs to dilate, we became more...

The Optomap Exam's role in managing patients: a surprising array of systemic disorders reveal themselves in the retina.
August 15, 2004... If you had told me a year ago that I would be writing an article about retinal imaging, I would have laughed it off. I've spent my career building a contact lens practice, and because my patients tend to be young and healthy, the posterior...

Increasing revenue with Optomap: one practice's tale of using Optos technology to enhance its revenue and level of patient care.
August 15, 2004... At the beginning of this decade, Ossip Optometry had a highly developed dispensary business. Dispensary accounted for 55 percent of our revenue, with contact lens sales producing 25 percent of the total. Professional fees accounted for only 20...

Introduction.(Brief Article)
August 15, 2004... Dear Friends, We are pleased to partner with Review of Optometry and Bausch & Lomb in bringing to you this annual Clinical Guide to Ophthalmic Drugs. In this life, progress most often comes through cooperative ventures, and these two...

Combination drugs: perhaps half of all inflamed eyes require a combination drug, rather than an antibiotic or steroid alone.(Combinations)
August 15, 2004... This class of ophthalmic drugs is highly useful and rivals the pure topical corticosteroids in the treatment of the acute red eye. As with most drugs, there are clear indications and clear contraindications, with a gray zone in between. In...

A fresh look at dry eye intervention: in some ways, gaining control of k. sicca in dry eye patients can be more difficult than achieving target intraocular pressure in glaucoma patients.
August 15, 2004... Here's one thing we have learned for sure: achieving clinical control of keratoconjunctivitis sicca makes reaching target IOP in glaucoma patients seem relatively simple. Here's another thing we know: Dry eye syndrome continues to be the...

Antibiotics: the fourth generation fluoroquinolones are here. An aggressive dosing schedule may be more important than which drug you choose.
August 15, 2004... As predicted last year, we have indeed been blitzed with a promotional overdose of "fourth generation" antibiotics. We wonder if the discovery of penicillin was as highly touted! These new antibiotics do, however, perform beautifully, just like...

Corticosteroids: topical corticosteroids are still the cornerstone of ocular anti-inflammatory therapy.
August 15, 2004... Next to refractive error and dry eye, inflammatory conditions represent the most common clinical challenges. So, optometrists must become familiar with the various topical steroids, and become competent and comfortable in their clinical use....

Ocular allergy treatment: all kinds of drugs can stop ocular itching in its tracks. The challenge is in selecting which drug to prescribe for each patient.
August 15, 2004... Probably the greatest challenge in treating patients with ocular itching is separating dry eyes (which can have a mild itchy component) from allergy (which can occasionally present with some burning). The differential diagnosis becomes rather...

Current therapy in ocular disease.
August 15, 2004... Past recipients of the "Glaucoma Educator of the Year" Award by the American Academy of Optometry [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Authors of Review of Optometry's annual Clinical Guide to Ophthalmic Drugs SEMINAR IN PARADISE NEW YEARS...

Pearls, pointers & philosophy: here are some random observations on a wide range of issues related to optometric practice and patient care.
August 15, 2004... As part of our lectures, we are privileged to answer many hundreds of questions and offer our perspectives on a wide range of issues germane to optometric practice. Here, we share a number of these pearls, pointers and philosophies. We hope you...

Glaucoma evaluation: since there is very little that's new in glaucoma medicines since last year, we'll focus attention on the model diagnostic work-up.
August 15, 2004... What's new in glaucoma medicines this year? The only "new" glaucoma drug to come to market in 2004 was yet another timolol, albeit a "once daily" timolol. It will be marketed as Istalol 0.5% by Ista Pharmaceuticals and is FDA-approved for once...

Antiviral drugs: nearly 50,000 new and recurring cases of herpes simplex epithelial keratitis are diagnosed each year in the United States.
August 15, 2004... Collectively, the herpes viruses and adenoviruses are the etiologic agents for legions of viral infections annually. We have excellent antiherpes virus therapy, yet no specific medicine to kill the adenoviruses, which cause epidemic...

Systemic drug updates: primary care optometrists should familiarize themselves with these systemic drugs, and the ocular side effects that may arise.
August 15, 2004... Ocular Implications of Topomax All optometrists should be familiar with the maculotoxic potential of hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil, Sanofi-Synthelabo) and tamoxifen (Nolvadex, AstraZeneca). Anti-cholinergic drugs, such as the bladder...