Review of Optometry articles from January 2002

Review of Optometry archives from January 2002

Glaucoma is more common among Hispanics in the United States than expected. (In the News).(Brief Article)
January 15, 2002... Glaucoma is more common among Hispanics in the United States than expected. Incidence among Mexican-Americans in the Southwest, for example, is more than 12% in those over age 80, according to a National Eye Institute study in the December...

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). (In the News).(greater risk for dry eye syndrome)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2002... Last month, Review of Optometry reported that postmenopausal women on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are at greater risk for dry eye syndrome. Now researchers at the Wilmer Eye Institute say that HRT appears to provide a protective effect...

National Certification Board of Diabetes Educators will recognize optometry as a health profession that is able to qualify licensed optometrists for the Certified Diabetes Educator certificate. (In the News).(Brief Article)
January 15, 2002... Beginning in 2002, the National Certification Board of Diabetes Educators will recognize optometry as a health profession that is able to qualify licensed optometrists for the Certified Diabetes Educator certificate. The certificate provides...

Kids don't grow out of Hyperopia. (Report from Academy 2001).
January 15, 2002... Optometrists may want to treat hyperopia in elementary school children, suggest the researchers behind the Orinda Longitudinal Study of Myopia. Hyperopic children "don't grow out of it," says Don Mutti, O.D., who presented the results at the...

LASIK procedures plunging. (News Review).
January 15, 2002... When consumer confidence slips, elective surgical procedures dip. That certainly has happened with LASIK procedures, the projected number of which is down 145,000 procedures in 2001, according to the industry newsletter Market Scope. ...

J&J's PAL makes its debut...again. (News Review).
January 15, 2002... After one false start, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care's Spectacle Lens Group is finally gearing up for a limited relaunch of its first product, the Definity 2 progressive addition lens. J&J entered the spectacle lens market in 1997, when it...

O.D.s on External Marketing: Discount coupons are a cheap shot. (News Review).
January 15, 2002... When you don't advertise, nothing happens, quips Madison Avenue. To that end, the average optometrist spends $8,400 on external marketing and advertising a year. (The median is $3,000.) Doctors in urban areas shell out the most, averaging more...

1 in 6 patients have eye disease, no symptoms. (Report from Academy 2001).
January 15, 2002... Optometrists are used to seeing patients who present with eyes that are red and burning, or dry and scratchy. But O.D.s probably aren't aware that as many as one in six patients who present for a routine eye exam have no symptoms of...

Ortho-K eyes peak in one week. (News Review).
January 15, 2002... With overnight wear of reverse-geometry design orthokeratology lenses, maximum unaided visual improvement is achieved within one week, researchers at Indiana University School of Optometry say. The results of the study were presented at the...

Scleral bands 'inconsistent'. (News Review).
January 15, 2002... Scleral expansion band surgery is "characterized by inconsistent and unpredictable results with a low level of patient satisfaction," a recent prospective French study reports. (1) Designed to ameliorate the effect of presbyopia, the...

Time to call up the new guard. (Editor's Page).
January 15, 2002... Editor's note: This is the first in a series of editorials on optometry's direction. Alfred E. Newman, the poster boy for Mad magazine, has a motto: What, me worry? You might feel the same way. After all, you're in pretty good stead. You...

My star is rising, and so's my ego: Just try to push me out of the limelight. Go ahead! (OK, that's enough.). (Chairside).
January 15, 2002... One of the best things we can do for our patients is demonstrate self-confidence. You have to have an ego to be a good doctor. Now if that's the case, I am peaking right this second. This has probably been the most egotistic 45 days of my...

Reciprocity can move us forward. Our profession's barriers are becoming a burden in the electronic age. (Another Perspective).
January 15, 2002... It's incredible how much smaller our world has become in the last few years. Sitting comfortably in my home, I routinely correspond by e-mail with colleagues and friends around the world. Our office has started to schedule appointments and send...

Letters & E-mail.
January 15, 2002... Article on lasik was a letdown I nominate Review of Optometry to receive the award for the most striking example of negative reinforcement that I have ever encountered in a professional publication. This is for the article "Turn Around...

Power up the shredder: A switch to electronic medical records may be easier than you thought. (Technology Review).
January 15, 2002... You may have thought about it in the past, but now is the time to seriously consider using electronic medical records-- or EMRs--to record your patient encounters. With the ever-increasing complexity of health care, the use of computers to...

What a doc wants from the lab, but never thought to ask: Cut down on use of the R words--remakes and redos--by following these steps. (Ophthalmic Dispensing).
January 15, 2002... So, doctor, what's wrong with your wholesale lab? You could probably make a list of things that irk you in just a few minutes. Quality, turnaround time, costs, to name the top three. Then there are the everyday challenges and misunderstandings,...

Making the case for 30-day wear: Here's what the studies say and what you should know about patient selection. (Contact Lenses).
January 15, 2002... Optometrist Barry Weiner remembers when practitioners prescribed 30-day contact lenses during the 1980s. At that time his Phoenix, Md., practice was a part of the University of Maryland, and he ran the contact lens clinic. Because it was a...

Optometry under fire: Because the profession has gained so much, does organized medicine have optometry in its sights? (News Analysis).
January 15, 2002... On the battlefield, the maneuver is called a "diversionary assault." That's when the enemy attacks your flank to divert away your attention and resources. It's designed to delay or prevent you from launching a major frontal assault against...

The special patient: Get started with patients just getting started...in life: A nuts-and-bolts approach for thoroughly examining infants and children. (Patient Care).
January 15, 2002... Editor's note: This month we begin a new series, "The Special Patient." Over the next three months, we'll look at how to examine the mentally challenged patient by Andrew S. Gurwood, O.D.; the pregnant patient by Richard Schecter, O.D.; and the...

Systemic drugs and the eye: Here's what you need to know about the 10 most common systemic drugs and how they can affect your patients' overall and ocular health. (Optometric Study Center).
January 15, 2002... With the expansion of therapeutic laws, many of us now enjoy roles as primary eye-care providers. This implies that we now see patients who are on a wide array of systemic medications. This means, of course, that we need to take our therapeutic...

Something to share with the class: Here are the winners of Review of Optometry's 12th annual Student Case Report Challenge. (Case Report).
January 15, 2002... Remember in elementary school when someone would whisper something to a classmate, and the teacher would ask, "Is there something you'd like to share with the class?" We posed that question to this year's crop of third- and fourth-...

A test drug for sub-retinal fluid: INS37217 may one day prevent vision loss from various retinal conditions. (Research Review).(Inspire Pharmaceuticals)
January 15, 2002... Diabetic macular edema, edema secondary to vein occlusions, central serous chorioretinopathy, cystoid macular edema and subretinal fluid with retinal detachments. These are but some of the conditions in which intraretinal or subretinal fluid...

Take your future in your hands: Protect the rights we have won. We must stay involved in the political process. (Co Management Q&A).
January 15, 2002... This month, I'd like to diverge from the typical Q&A format to talk about something that's important to our ability to comanage patients and do so much more in our practices. With important elections coming up this year for legislatures and...

Sleep problem adds to glaucoma risk: A breathing disorder during sleep may increase the risk of glaucoma in this patient. (Glaucoma Grand Rounds).
January 15, 2002... A 56-year-old white male presented in August 2001 as a new patient to the practice. He had been treated for glaucoma for the past five years with Timoptic (timolol maleate) 0.5%, 1 drop O.U. bid. Only three visual fields were obtained while he...

Conundrum in HIV patient: This patient's diagnosis appeared straightforward, so why are there red flags? (Retina Quiz).
January 15, 2002... A 45-year-old, HIV-positive black male presented with a chief complaint of poor vision of longstanding duration. He came in at the insistence of his girl-friend, who noticed him bumping into things. She also noted that he could not see her...

Gel or Drop for dry eyes? (Therapeutic Agents).(Refresh Liquigel)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2002... Allergan recently introduced a new lubricant, Refresh Liquigel, which it says combines the strength of a gel with the convenience of a liquid eye drop. Refresh Liquigel uses carboxymethylcellulose 1% to achieve moisture retention and...

Going digital. (Diagnostic Instruments).(FF450plus retinal camera from Zeiss Humphrey)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2002... Zeiss Humphrey's new retinal camera, the FF450plus, has been designed specifically for digital imaging. The FF450 integrates with the company's Visupac Digital Image & Archive Management System. When used with Visupac, a special Boost Mode...

Now with LED illumination. (Low Vision).(Eschenbach LED magnifier handle for its System Vario illuminated stand magnifier heads)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2002... Eschenbach now offers handles with LED (light emitting diode) illumination in its line of illuminated stand magnifier handles. This is in addition to handles that use halogen and incandescent light. LED illumination is whiter than halogen...

Reduce the wait for prosthetics. (Contact Lenses).(CIBA Vision Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2002... CIBA Vision now offers immediate shipping on its top 20 prosthetic lens styles. The company previously considered all its prosthetic lenses to be special orders with an approximate 6-week delivery time.

FDA clears B&L for no rub. (Contact Lens Solutions).(Bausch & Lomb's ReNu MultiPlus MultiPurpose Solution)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2002... The FDA has cleared Bausch & Lomb's ReNu MultiPlus MultiPurpose Solution for use as a no-rub regimen to clean and disinfect soft contact lenses that are replaced every 30 days or more often. Disinfecting, cleaning and protein removal can be...

It's like a virtual dressing room. (Optical Equipment).(Paperless Practice's FrameCam)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2002... Paperless Practice brought its FrameCam to the United States. The product previously was available in Canada only. The FrameCam captures and displays four close-up, photographic images of patients in the frames of their choice. The company...

European simplicity and urban design. (Office Design).(Eye Designs Profiles furniture)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2002... Eye Designs presents the Profiles collection of furniture. The Profiles design features curved and modular accents, along with low-voltage lighting.

Donna Karan 8712. (Ophthalmic Frame Board).(Brief Article)
January 15, 2002... This women's bottom-line reader has a narrow oval shape underscored in lightweight titanium. DK 8712 features rounded temples with engraved logo tips. Colors are oxidized brass, oxblood, brushed silver and satin black, It is available is size...

Geoffrey Beene. (Ophthalmic Frame Board).(Viva International)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2002... Viva International introduced its New Modernists grouping for its Geoffrey Beene line. The New Modernists group features metal fronts and handmade, plastic laminated temples. The line includes three unisex styles: * GB 1222, a softened...

Giorgio Armani 1057. (Ophthalmic Frame Board).(Luxottica S.p.A. offers rimless frames)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2002... This barely there Giorgio Armani rimless from Luxottica Group is a butterfly-shaped frame made of stainless steel. The color palette includes wine, olive, sat navy, dark plum, GEP, dark pewter and sat black. It is available in sizes 44/21-130...

DKNY 6811. (Ophthalmic Frame Board).(Donna Karan Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2002... This semi-rimless zyl frame rectangle is lightweight and comes in rich double laminate color combinations. Colors include black honey, Havana horn, blue horn and Bordeaux horn. Sizes are 50/17-140 and 52/17-140.

Ellen Tracy. (Ophthalmic Frame Board).(Caribbean Concert frames from Viva International)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2002... Ellen Tracy's new grouping, Caribbean Concert, from Viva International highlights lush, tropical colors. Each frame in this trio is made of plastic. ET 257 is available in colors light brown, plum, root beer and teal, in size 47/19-138. The ET...

Prio Kids. (Ophthalmic Frame Board).(Prio Kids Complete Computer Vision Solution)(Brief Article)
January 15, 2002... Prio Corporation says its new Prio Kids Complete Computer Vision Solution can provide the tools for building a children's computer vision specialty practice. Prio offers a Prio Kids computer eyewear collection that features a brightly...

What caused patient's multiple ocular findings? (Diagnostic Quiz).(Brief Article)
January 15, 2002... History A 50-year-old black female presented complaining of constant blurred vision, pain, photophobia and foreign-body sensation over the previous five days. The symptoms were greater O.S. than O.D. She denied trauma and exposure to...

Ocular Sciences: The power of insight. (Biomedics Toric).(Brief Article)
January 15, 2002... DEAR COLLEAGUE, With so much challenge and change facing optometrists these days, a new product launch can get lost in the fray -- even a new product launch with a story as compelling as the Biomedics Toric's behind it. The Biomedics...

Building the Biomedics Toric: The quest for the best compromise between comfort and orientation resulted in a happy confluence of design and performance characteristics. Professor Brien Holden takes us inside the lens-design process.
January 15, 2002... When we set out to design the Biomedics Toric, we had no preconceived notions about what the lens should or shouldn't be. One of the many factors that made helping to design this new soft toric lens such a gratifying project was that we...

Reviewing the Performance of the Biomedics Toric: A panel of contact lens experts discusses what makes this lens one of the top-performing disposable torics available today. (Biomedics Toric).
January 15, 2002... Building your practice with toric lenses DR. EPSTEIN: The most profitable patient you may see in terms of time relative to net gain is a toric patient. Let's share some of the management gems that you've developed in using toric lenses to...

Putting the Biomedics Toric to the test: Find out how this new toric soft lens fared in an in-office clinical study. (Biomedics Toric).
January 15, 2002... Contact lens specialists have long had a love-hate relationship with toric soft lenses. On the one hand, with more than 50 million Americans having clinically significant astigmatism, the need for effective toric contact lens correction is...