Review of Optometry articles from February 2005

Review of Optometry archives from February 2005

Abdominal cramps should be considered an adverse effect of Travatan (travoprost, Alcon).(IN THE NEWS)(Brief Article)
February 15, 2005... Abdominal cramps should be considered an adverse effect of Travatan (travoprost, Alcon), according to a case study in January's American Journal of Ophthalmology. "Flu-like symptoms (abdominal cramps, malaise and URI) were reported in 4% of...

National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO).(IN THE NEWS)(Brief Article)
February 15, 2005... Jack E. Terry, O.D., Ph.D., has been named the new executive director of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO), which is moving its offices from Bethesda, Md., to Charlotte, N.C. The current executive director, Norman E. Wallis,...

Researchers have identified a protein that plays a key role in the early stages of allergic response.(IN THE NEWS)(Brief Article)
February 15, 2005... Researchers have identified a protein that plays a key role in the early stages of allergic response, says a report in the online Journal of Clinical Investigation. Macrophage inflammatory protein-1a (MIP-1a), found in the conjunctiva, plays a...

Maryland O.D.s pursue Davis Vision: the MOA's lawsuit against Davis Vision was dismissed, but it's not over just yet.(News Review)(Doctors of Optometry, Maryland Optometric Association)(Brief Article)
February 15, 2005... A federal judge has dismissed the antitrust suit filed by the Maryland Optometric Association (MOA) against Davis Vision and CareFirst. The suit was filed in July in the United states District Court of Baltimore. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Study: 98% of healthy people carry HSV.(News Review)(herpes simplex virus )
February 15, 2005... A new study has found that almost everyone carries ocular herpes simplex. Specifically, 98% of healthy, asymptomatic participants shed herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) in their tears and saliva at least once during a 30-day study, the...

After-hours calls: can you hear them now?(News Review)(Brief Article)
February 15, 2005... To care for patients after regular business hours, more and more optometrists are just a phone call away. Some O.D.s say that after-hours coverage is simply a part of primary patient care. And, many patients' "emergency" problems can be handled...

Contact lens bill reintroduced in Congress.(News Review)(Brief Article)
February 15, 2005... Optometrist and U.S. Representative John Boozman (RAR) reintroduced a bill that would give the FDA the power to regulate noncorrective colored contact lenses as medical devices. "All contact lenses have significant effects on the eye and...

AMD patients may prevent depression with self-management and group therapy.(News Review)(age-related macular degeneration)
February 15, 2005... A self-management program for individuals with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) leads to lasting improvements in mood and function, according to a follow-up study published in the January issue of Archives of Ophthalmology. A study...

Cataract surgery reduces risk of falls and improves health among the elderly.(News Review)(Brief Article)
February 15, 2005... Cataract surgery reduces elderly patients' risk of falling by one-third, and improves visual function and general health status, according to a study published in the January 2005 issue of the British Journal of Ophthalmology. Some 306...

Clue to blepharospasm found in rat's whiskers.(News Review)(Brief Article)
February 15, 2005... The discovery of a neural circuit in rats could help scientists better understand blepharospasm and eventually lead to new treatments. In the February 3 issue of Neuron, neurophysicists from the University of California San Diego describe...

When you talk more, drugs harm patients less.(News Review)
February 15, 2005... Communication between primary-care doctors and patients can reduce medication-related problems, a new study suggests. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Primary-care doctors who encourage their patients to let them know about bothersome side...

Don't treat before you diagnose: an oversupply of eye doctors may not be your biggest problem.(Editor's Page)
February 15, 2005... A man suffering from a miserable cold went to see his doctor. The doctor prescribed some pills, but they didn't help. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] So, the man went back to the doctor for another visit. The doctor gave him a shot, but the...

Movin' on up: how will we find a new office that's about the same as our current one? We can start by looking on the wrong side of the tracks.(Chair Side)
February 15, 2005... I'm moving. It's freaking me out. Years ago, I wrote lovingly about my "edifice complex" and my complicated love affair with 58 Olde Main Plaza. This is a great big old building. It holds a lot of irreplaceable memories of Dr. Bodie holding...

Investigate and document!(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the Editor)
February 15, 2005... I would like to expand on a few things said by John Classe, O.D., J.D., in, "How to Be Sued For Malpractice," in the October 2004 issue. Dr. Classe identifies failure to determine the cause of reduced acuity as an important cause of...

Men can be victims too.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the Editor)
February 15, 2005... I enjoyed reading the article, "CSEYE," by John Murphy, in the November 2004 issue. However, I was rather dismayed at the section featuring Dr. Denise Pensyl. She talks about her approach to her female patients whom she suspects have been...

Tsunami crisis: an O.D. reports from Thailand; A second crisis could follow the tsunami--this time, an economic disaster.(A View of the Globe)
February 15, 2005... The phone rang a few minutes after we felt the earthquake. It was the morning of December 26. I was at a friend's house. He is the general manager of the Marriott Hotel. The hotel was calling. A tsunami had hit the coast of Thailand. I...

What you don't know about driving and low vision; The first thing you should know is the low vision driving regulations in your state. The next thing you should know: you can help.(Low Vision)
February 15, 2005... What's the most important thing you probably don't know regarding your low vision patients who want to drive? Your own state's law. To find out, call your state capital and ask for regulations on driver safety, says optometrist Richard...

How to identify and refer patients for vision therapy: you may not offer VT services, but you can comanage patients with a VT specialist.(Vision Therapy)
February 15, 2005... The need for vision therapy (VT) services is widespread. The prevalence of visual efficiency problems ranges from 15 to 20% of the population. (1) At least 20% of children with learning disabilities have problems with visual processing. If we...

Part 1 of 3: how you should examine infants and toddlers; Here are seven essential components for the examination of an infant or toddler, and within each component, practical tips.(Pediatric Practice)
February 15, 2005... Vision disorders are prevalent in infants and preschoolers. A report of children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years showed that 33% had hyperopia, 22.5% had astigmatism and 9.5% had myopia. (1) Also in this age group, 5% had binocular...

Distinguish the rare conjunctival tumor: what you should know about low-grade MALT lymphoma and how you can avoid misdiagnosing it.(Patient Care)
February 15, 2005... Because conjunctival lymphomas present with redness and swelling, they are easy to misdiagnose as inflammatory conditions, such as allergic eye disease or non-specific conjunctivitis. While malignant tumors of the conjunctiva are relatively...

Take your care beyond the surface: dry eye is more than a symptomatic disorder. Here, we'll look at pathologic mechanisms and treatments of this multifactorial disease.(OPTOMETRIC STUDY CENTER)(Cover Story)
February 15, 2005... I still cringe when I recall an incident that occurred during my residency in a Philadelphia hospital. The staff ophthalmologist was examining a glaucoma patient who complained of chronic ocular discomfort, telling her, "I'm sorry, but it's...

Treating ocular surface disease in glaucoma patients: improved ocular comfort for your glaucoma patients.
February 15, 2005... Because eyecare practitioners know how insidious glaucoma is, how it can stalk a patient for years before permanent vision loss becomes apparent, it is easy to lose track of other factors that may be important to glaucoma patients and suspects....

Varied symptoms? Think Lyme: Lyme disease patients have a mixed bag of physical and ocular symptoms. Inquisitive optometrists can recognize undiagnosed patients.(Comanagement Q+A)
February 15, 2005... Q I've heard of several patients who have received a delayed diagnosis of Lyme disease. Is there anything that the optometrist can look for to help speed up the diagnosis? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Lyme disease presents in myriad ways,...

A look at 'bladeless' surgery: how is this different from standard flap procedures in LASIK? And, what are this procedure's advantages and disadvantages?(Cornea+Contact Lens Q+A)
February 15, 2005... Q How does "bladeless" flap surgery for refractive correction differ from standard microkeratome flaps in LASIK, and what are the benefits and pitfalls of it? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A "Bladeless" flap surgery differs from LASIK in that...

Infant's pupil worries parents: equally worrisome, the same eye appeared smaller than the other eye.(Retina Quiz)
February 15, 2005... The parents of an 11-month-old white female brought their daughter in for an evaluation. They had noted an abnormal white pupil reflex in the right eye in photographs for the past several months. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The parents also...

You need to know when to quit: continuous use of topical therapy beyond what is necessary may result in iatrogenic disease and failure to heal.(Therapeutic Review)
February 15, 2005... Imagine this: A 19-year-old female, an extended-wear contact lens patient, presents with a red painful eye that has mucopurulent discharge. She has a large epithelial defect, stromal infiltration and a heavy anterior chamber reaction. Her...

Dry eye: which test is best? What's the best approach to diagnosing dry eye when signs and symptoms don't always match?(Research Review)
February 15, 2005... One problem we face when managing dry eye patients is that signs and symptoms often don't correlate. Consider: Researchers from Ohio State University studied 75 patients with varying types and severity of dry eye disease. (1) They asked...

New combination drop.(OPHTHALMIC DRUGS)(Brief Article)
February 15, 2005... Zylet (loteprednol etabonate 0.5% and tobramycin 0.3%) is a new topical corticosteroid/antibiotic from Bausch & Lomb. The drug, which received FDA approval in December, is indicated for the treatment of steroid-responsive inflammatory ocular...

New intravitreal injection for wet AMD.(OPHTHALMIC DRUGS)(Brief Article)
February 15, 2005... Macugen (pegaptanib sodium), from Eyetech Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Pfizer, is a new intravitreal injection used to treat neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD), regardless of lesion subtype or size. The drug, which received...

Tonometer/Pachymeter.(EXAM EQUIPMENT)(Brief Article)
February 15, 2005... The ATP Auto Non-Contact Tonometer/Pachymeter from Reichert Ophthalmic Instruments combines intraocular pressure (IOP) and central corneal thickness (CCT) measurements, and displays all the alignment and measurement information on a color LCD...

Portable pachymeter.(EXAM EQUIPMENT)(Brief Article)
February 15, 2005... The 555 Pachette 3, from DGH Technology Inc., is a portable pachymeter that measures corneal thickness via ultrasound technology. Additional features include: * A solid-filled probe with a clear polystyrene tip that is 1.5mm in diameter....

A three-in-one combination.(EXAM EQUIPMENT)
February 15, 2005... The M3 Automatic Refractor, Keratometer and Non-Contact Tonometer, from Marco, combines a patient's refractive power, corneal curvature and intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements in one instrument, to improve office efficiency and provide...

New punctal plug.(DRY EYE)(Brief Article)
February 15, 2005... Form Fit, from Oasis Medical Inc., is a hydrogel long-term intracanalicular punctal plug that measures 3.0mm in length and 0.3mm in diameter and conforms to the size of each patient's punctum. When the plug's hydrogel material touches the tear...

Two new natural eye drops.(DRY EYE)(Brief Article)
February 15, 2005... Dry Eye Treatment for Men and Dry Eye Treatment for Women eye drops, from Natural Ophthalmics Inc., are homeopathic eye drops that use seven active ingredients to stimulate the body's ability to produce tear components, the company says. ...

Antimicrobial File Folders.(PRACTICE MANAGEMENT)(Brief Article)
February 15, 2005... Antimicrobial File Folders, from Ancom Business Products, are treated inside and out with zeolite compounds that guard against the growth of microorganisms, mold and mildew. These zeolite compounds, which do not wear off, have been registered...

Transitions V Lenses with ESP.(OPHTHALMIC LENSES)(enhanced scientific performance)(Brief Article)
February 15, 2005... Transitions V Lenses with ESP (Enhanced Scientific Performance), from Transitions Optical Inc., activate and deactivate fast, and are darker outdoors but as clear as a regular lens indoors, the company says. These lenses combine the company's...

Pen applicator.(LAB TOOL)
February 15, 2005... Solves-It for Poly, from Hilco, is an acetone replacement pen-style applicator that removes progressive lens inks, paint, oils, marks, grease or glue. The company says the pen is safe for all lens materials. Call 1-800-955-6544, or go to...

Gerber Coburn revamps web site.(WHAT'S NEW ON THE WEB)
February 15, 2005... Gerbercoburn.com, from Gerber Coburn, is a newly enhanced online e-commerce shopping site that contains a complete list of the company's parts, accessories and supplies. Features include: * Online customer registration. * Search...

Eye Designs LLC.(OFFICE DESIGN)
February 15, 2005... The Classics collection, from Eye Designs LLC, features a collection of freestanding displays that showcase elegant moldings and stylish details, the company says. Call 1-800-346-8890, or go to www.eyedesigns.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Nautica and Calvin Klein.(FRAMES)
February 15, 2005... Marchon introduces three new frames each from its Nautica and Calvin Klein collections. The Nautica line now features: * N7815, a unisex frame made of 100% titanium in the shape of a geometric bow tie. It comes in colors shiny dark...

Viva international.(FRAMES)(Brief Article)
February 15, 2005... Viva International Group introduces new frames for women from Versace. The collection now includes: * VE 1032, made of Monel in a large rectangular shape. It comes in colors chrome, gold, light rose and golden taupe and in sizes 52/18-120...

Meetings + conferences.(Calendar)
February 15, 2005... March * 9-11. Las Vegas 2005 Conference, Las Vegas. CE hours: 15. Contact Lis Ellerbusch, 8001 Natural Bridge Rd., St. Louis, MO. 63121; call (314) 516-5615; fax (314) 516-6708; e-mail ellerbusch@umsl.edu; or go to...

Does danger follow a fall?(Diagnostic Quiz)
February 15, 2005... History A 54-year-old white female presented for an eye examination. She had no visual complaints but reported a recent fall. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Her ocular history was noncontributory. Her systemic history revealed...