Review of Optometry articles from July 2004

Review of Optometry archives from July 2004

A bill in Puerto Rico, which would have allowed optometrists there to prescribe diagnostic and therapeutic drugs, has stalled and died in the legislature.(In the News)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... A bill in Puerto Rico, which would have allowed optometrists there to prescribe diagnostic and therapeutic drugs, has stalled and died in the legislature. There is one last slim chance for the bill to survive--if the governor approves it in an...

CIBA Vision and Bausch & Lomb have settled their lawsuits on the patent dispute over silicone hydrogel contact lens materials.(In the News)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... CIBA Vision and Bausch & Lomb have settled their lawsuits on the patent dispute over silicone hydrogel contact lens materials. The companies have agreed to cross-license the rights to this technology. B & L will resume the sale and manufacture...

The FDA has approved Ista Pharmaceuticals' new drug application for Istalol, a once-daily topical timolol solution for the treatment of glaucoma.(In the News)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... The FDA has approved Ista Pharmaceuticals' new drug application for Istalol, a once-daily topical timolol solution for the treatment of glaucoma. In clinical trials, Istalol q.d. showed efficacy and safety comparable to b.i.d. timolol maleate,...

The FDA has also approved Bausch & Lomb's abbreviated new drug application for generic ciprofloxacin 0.3% for the treatment of bacterial eye infections.(In the News)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... The FDA has also approved Bausch & Lomb's abbreviated new drug application for generic ciprofloxacin 0.3% for the treatment of bacterial eye infections. (The brand-name version of the drug is Alcon's Ciloxan.) The generic is available now in...

O.D. shoots O.D.; police kill shooter: a Connecticut optometrist dies after he opens fire in another O.D.'s office.(News Review)(Interview)
July 15, 2004... On the morning of June 4, the most pressing thing on the mind of optometrist George Tzepos was watching his son graduate from preschool. That afternoon, the most pressing thing on his mind was a bullet, which had entered his temple and...

New OHTS findings: drops may lower or prevent glaucoma risk among blacks.(News Review)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... Topical glaucoma drops may delay or prevent the onset of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in blacks who have ocular hypertension, according to the latest results of the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study, or OHTS. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Fruit, not vegetables, may lower AMD risk.(News Review)
July 15, 2004... Eating three or more servings of fruit per day may significantly decrease the risk of developing neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), though neither vegetables, antioxidant vitamins nor carotenoids may decrease either form of the...

AOA celebrates demise of VA amendment, for now.(News Review)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... The AOA 107th Congress House of Delegates erupted in applause during its June 24 session, when it was announced that the U.S. Senate had passed the 2005 Department of Defense Authorization (DOD) Bill, minus the Fitzgerald Amendment, S.A. 3323....

Does cataract surgery restore intelligence?(News Review)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... The intelligence level of the average adult decreases with age. The same is true of visual function, which also decreases as we get older. A review of published literature shows vision impairment corresponds with cognitive deterioration and...

Unique oral bill prepared to pass in New Jersey.(News Review)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... A scope-of-practice bill has passed the New Jersey legislature and now waits on the governor's desk for his signature. If enacted into law, privileges would include all oral meds, except schedule I and II controlled substances. The...

Virginia mandates vision test for older drivers.(News Review)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... A new law in Virginia requires drivers over the age of 80 to pass a vision screening test before the state's Department of Motor Vehicles will renew their driver's licenses. The new law, passed by the state's general assembly, stipulates a...

Statins may reduce risk of open-angle glaucoma.(News Review)
July 15, 2004... Cholesterol-lowering medications, both statins and nonstatins, may be associated with a reduced risk of developing open-angle glaucoma, especially among patients with cardiovascular and lipid diseases, say researchers from the University of...

Don't cause your own unhappiness: embrace your changing profession rather than change professions.(Editor's Page)(Editorial)
July 15, 2004... Do you believe in your profession? In the grand scheme of things, do you think it has real value? More importantly, are you confident that you, personally, bring value to your profession and your patients? Do you really love what you do? ...

Open wide and say 'aaaaaarrrgh!': my kids don't want to be O.D.s. What did I do to deserve this? Don't answer that.(Chairside)
July 15, 2004... My kids want to be dentists. Where have I gone wrong? Oh, woe is me! What's so wrong with eye care? I mean, think about the absolute boom we are entering as the "boomers" find that their arms are too short. This has always been a win-win...

Coding mistakes optometrists make: if you code correctly, you will not only avoid these 11 costly mistakes, but have more time to do what you love--better your patients' lives.(Practice Management)
July 15, 2004... On January 11, 2002, a New Jersey optometrist was sentenced to seven years in state prison, and was fined more than $1 million dollars for three counts of defrauding 29 insurance carriers. Specifically, he was found guilty of providing...

Is student debt out of control? Students are graduating with higher levels of debt. But this may not necessarily affect career choices.(Practice Management)
July 15, 2004... By the time optometrist Cory Steed was ready to enter the real world, the cost of his optometric education had put him $125,000 in the hole. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] He graduated from Southern California College of Optometry (SCCO) in...

CVS: the specialty you can't do without; Your patients live in a world changed by computers. Eventually, these changes will affect your office.(Practice Management)
July 15, 2004... When considering any specialty, the first question to ask is whether your patients need or can benefit from the service. Chances are, most of your patients use a computer daily in some way, shape or form. While research in the field of...

The ocular surface: the advancement of fluoroquinolone therapy for a new generation.(Panel Discussion)
July 15, 2004... ARTHUR B. EPSTEIN, OD, FAAO, is senior partner of North Shore Contact Lens & Vision Consultants in Roslyn Heights, NY, and director of the contact lens service of North Shore University Hospital, NYU School of Medicine, in Great Neck, NY. He...

Botulinum toxin in medical therapy: Botox is used to quiet muscles in many medical purposes--such as blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm--well beyond its cosmetic use.(Patient Care)
July 15, 2004... We have yet to find all the potential medical uses of botulinum toxin. Researchers continue to develop new and unique medical applications for it. Ingested, botulinum toxin causes paralysis and even death (botulism). But when injected locally...

10th annual glaucoma report: high-tech glaucoma devices hasten diagnosis; These devices can help you diagnose glaucoma sooner and monitor for progression.(Optometric Study Center)(Cover Story)
July 15, 2004... Noted glaucoma specialist Robert Weinreb, M.D., has stated: "Early detection is essential to the management of glaucoma because the earlier it's detected, the sooner treatment can be initiated, and the sooner you initiate treatment, the lower...

More on self-supplementation: your patients may think the supplements they're taking are safe, but are they?(Comanagement Q & A)
July 15, 2004... Q Last month's column detailed potential interactions between vitamins and systemic medications or conditions. Can other supplements pose a risk? A There are many over the counter supplements your patients may be using to self-treat a...

Should I prescribe Restasis first? Or, will less expensive options be sufficient to treat this patient's dry eye?(Cornea & Contact Lens Q & A)
July 15, 2004... Q I have a new patient with a moderately severe dry eye with associated ocular surface disease. After appropriate diagnostic testing, I diagnosed her with keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS). I feel she would benefit from Restasis (cyclosporine,...

Just how 'interesting' are patient's eyes? And, what's causing this patient's reduced acuity and complaints of cloudy vision?(Retina Quiz)
July 15, 2004... A 52-year-old Hispanic female presented complaining of reduced acuity in both eyes, more so in her right eye than her left. She also felt as though her vision was cloudy and "smoky." She had presented to another eye doctor several times with...

When glaucoma is the risk factor: this closemouthed patient prompts us look at the other side of the risk factor mirror.(Glaucoma Grand Rounds)
July 15, 2004... In March 2004, a 60-year-old black male was referred to the office for glaucoma evaluation. His primary care O.D. noted significant cupping with IOPs of 18mm Hg O.D. and 19mm Hg O.S. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] He denied a family history of...

Improved vision stems from cells: limbal stem cell transplants may help restore vision to patients with trauma or disease.(Research Review)
July 15, 2004... The death of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan last month from Alzheimer's disease further focused public attention on the possible role that stem cells may play in preventing or curing not only Alzheimer's but myriad other diseases including...

Lens colorations.(Ophthalmic Lenses)
July 15, 2004... Vision-Ease Lens Inc. now offers Transitions Semi-Finished Single Vision (SFSV) brown lenses. The lenses feature variable tint technology, low peripheral distortion, high impact-resistance and 100% UV protection. They are available in powers of...

Topography System.(Instruments)
July 15, 2004... The new CTS Corneal Topography System from Reichert Ophthalmic contains a topographer, computer, software and instrument table in one machine. The CTS utilizes a small-cone design and Placido ring technology to record measurements and provide...

Generic ciprofloxacin.(Therapeutics)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... Bausch & Lomb has received FDA approval to manufacture and sell ciprofloxacin 0.3% ophthalmic solution. The medication is indicated for use in treating bacterial eye infections, including conjunctivitis and corneal ulcers. B & L drops are...

Ortho-K approval.(Contact Lenses: New Designs)(Suclid System Corp)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... The FDA recently approved Euclid System Corporation's Emerald orthokeratology lens for overnight wear. Ortho-K is a non-surgical, temporary alternative treatment for vision correction that can improve a patient's vision while sleeping. Euclid's...

Contacts for presbyopes.(Contact Lenses: New Designs)(Poly-Vue Distribution)(Brief Article)
July 15, 2004... The PolyVue Presbyopic System of soft contact lenses by Poly-Vue Distribution is specifically designed to match the changing needs of presbyopic patients. The company says the four versions of its High Definition lenses incorporate the ideal...

Meetings & conferences.(Calendar)
July 15, 2004... July * 30-August 1. Southwest Florida Optometric Association educational retreat 2004, Captiva Island, Fla. CE hours: 15. Contact Brad Middaugh, O.D., 6360 Presidential Court, Suite 5, Fort Myers, FL 33919; call (239) 481-7799; e-mail...

Double double trouble.(Diagnostic Quiz)
July 15, 2004... History [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] An 8-year-old white male presented to the office with a chief complaint of occasional double vision, most noticeable when he looked up to the left. He explained that the double vision had been there since...

Ophthalmic product guide.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
July 15, 2004... Dear Doctor: Review of Optometry is pleased to offer you this preview of many exciting new products now available in the ophthalmic marketplace. In the pages to follow, you'll learn about innovative new medications, diagnostic instruments,...

Our distinguished authors.
July 15, 2004... Drs. Melton and Thomas lecture extensively, throughout the world, on the diagnosis and medical management of eye diseases and ocular pharmacology. They received the 1997 "Glaucoma Educators of the Year" award from the American Academy of...

Contemporary glaucoma therapy: a world transformed; Recent advances in our understanding of this disease have triggered seismic changes in thought that impact every eye doctor.(Introduction)
July 15, 2004... Glaucoma remains one of the world's leading causes of acquired blindness. An estimated 67 million have the disease, 3 million of those in the United States, of which roughly half are undiagnosed. About 120,000 Americans have lost their sight...

Risk factors for glaucoma: IOP plays a greater role than once thought, but many other elements must be considered as well.
July 15, 2004... It may sound unusual to anyone who began practicing after the late 1980s, but the role of IOP has not always been as well established as it is today. Several decades of research went into justifying the use and expense of hypotensive therapies....

Clinical evaluation of glaucoma: the new scanning technologies can be a great help, but they cannot replace these basic steps.
July 15, 2004... Unlike assessing risk factors, the current diagnostic workup for a patient suspected of developing, or having, glaucoma is a relatively straightforward process. We recommend conducting this systematic approach for near-perfect sensitivity (true...

How to interpret visual fields: here are some basic principles on which to build your perimetry skills.
July 15, 2004... Since proper analysis of static threshold perimetry can greatly influence the management of glaucoma patients, we wanted to include a valuable step-by-step explanation of this fundamental diagnostic instrument. As always, we remind the reader...

Setting treatment goals for glaucoma patients: there are few hard-and-fast rules, but you can benefit from these guidelines.
July 15, 2004... Once glaucoma has been diagnosed, the first step is to sit down and have a talk with the patient. Explain the diagnosis, the severity of the disease, its prognosis and your management plan. It is important at this stage that the patient...

The pros and cons of image analyzers: though by no means a 'litmus test' for glaucoma diagnosis, these three technologies can be a great help.
July 15, 2004... The evaluation of a patient suspected of having glaucoma is a complex integration of numerous factors. These include age, race, family history, IOP, diurnal profile, central corneal thickness, optic nerve head status, gonioscopy and visual...

Medicines to lower IOP: prostaglandins are the new standard of care, but beta-blockers should not be dismissed.
July 15, 2004... When your clinical goal is to lower intraocular pressure, you cannot prescribe a better agent than the prostaglandin receptor agonists. But beta-adrenergic blockers--until a few years ago the clear first-line choice--remain a close second. ...

Protecting yourself against glaucoma malpractice.
July 15, 2004... Malpractice lawsuits concerning glaucoma are relatively uncommon, but the disease offers ample opportunity for patient dissatisfaction. The goal in glaucoma therapy is to halt vision loss and maintain the status quo rather than restore sight....

Questions.
July 15, 2004... DIRECTIONS: To obtain 2 hours of continuing education credit, complete the exam by recording the best answer to each self-assessment question on the Examination Answer Sheet on page 19. Mail the answer sheet to Optometric-CE, P.O. Box 488,...