Review of Optometry articles from July 2006

Review of Optometry archives from July 2006

FDA.(Food and Drug Administration)(drug approval)(Brief article)
July 15, 2006... The FDA approved Lumigan (bimatoprost 0.03%, Allergan) as a first-line treatment to lower IOP. Lumigan first gained FDA approval in 2001 as a second-line treatment for IOP reduction.

Children's Vision Improvement and Learning Readiness Act.(Brief article)
July 15, 2006... The Children's Vision Improvement and Learning Readiness Act (HR 2238) has reached a milestone of more than 200 cosponsors in Congress. If passed, the bill would establish a national grant program to provide comprehensive eye examinations and...

Las Vegas ranks as the number one Dry Eye Hot Spot.(Brief article)
July 15, 2006... Las Vegas ranks as the number one Dry Eye Hot Spot, according to an analysis from the National Women's Health Resource Center. This analysis ranked cities with environmental conditions most likely to contribute to dry eye. The rest of the top...

Corneal dryness affects the quality of optical coherence tomography scans and the measured nerve fiber layer thickness.(Brief article)
July 15, 2006... Corneal dryness affects the quality of optical coherence tomography scans and the measured nerve fiber layer thickness after a short exposure time, according to a study in June's Ophthalmology. The researchers recommend instructing patients...

Abnormal Rx possible in one in 20 babies: the AOA reported these findings from InfantSEE's first year and installed new officers at its annual meeting.(treatment)(American Optometric Association)
July 15, 2006... One in 20 infants (5%) is at risk for an abnormal prescription status, while one in 14 infants (7%) require careful follow-up or referral to a specialist. These findings from the American Optometric Association's InfantSEE program were...

AMD and cataract linked to carb intake.(age related macular degeneration)
July 15, 2006... The development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and nuclear cataract are associated with a high dietary glycemic index (GI), according to two separate studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (1,2) ...

Mozart's music soothes the savage field?(psychological aspects of glaucoma patients )
July 15, 2006... Patients who listen to Mozart prior to a visual field test performed better on the test than those patients who did not listen to any music, says a study published in May's British Journal of Ophthalmology. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The...

California court rules against Pearle Vision.(cases of deceptive marketing and unfair business practices)(Brief article)
July 15, 2006... In a unanimous decision, the California Supreme Court ruled that the current business structure of Pearle Vision and Pearle VisionCare is illegal. Pearle Vision employs optometrists to provide exams and eye care through Pearle VisionCare,...

Online petition says AWP legislation is top priority.(News Review)(Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act)
July 15, 2006... An electronic petition on ODwire.org urges the American Optometric Association to make "the pursuit and eventual passage of viable, ERISA-busting, federal level, any willing provider [AWP] legislation" the AOA's number one priority, says...

Practice transitions: in this exciting new series, we'll follow O.D.s through the various stages of their careers and gather pearls from practice management experts on how to successfully navigate the many challenges that each new stage presents.(Editor's Page)(Editorial)
July 15, 2006... About this time last year, I was at the AOA's annual congress, having lunch with an eager, young optometrist who wanted to write for Review of Optometry. He wanted to share how he faced the many challenges of starting his own practice just a...

No cussing on the tennis court! This month, the Chairside World Tour makes stops in New Mexico, at a wedding, at a graduation and on a #@$%^&! tennis court.(Chair Side)
July 15, 2006... Sometimes it seems like a cop-out, but I do like to write about my "Chairside" travels. I guess some of you would rather hear about what my 83-year-old mom gave up for Lent, or my son's impending wedding, or my daughter's move to THE Ohio State...

Practice transitions series, Part I: an eye on the future; Optometry school students must focus on career goals while getting through boards and making important choices in their personal lives at the same time.
July 15, 2006... In this series, Review of Optometry takes a close look at the dilemmas, decisions and life changes at each stage of an optometrist's career--from optometry school to active practice to retirement. In each installment, we talk with optometrists...

Set realistic goals for low-vision care: pay attention to the whole person, not just the vision loss, and find out what the patient wants to achieve.(Patient Care)
July 15, 2006... A retinal specialist referred Mr. Gold, an 82-year-old widower who has age-related macular degeneration, for a low-vision evaluation. Mr. Gold has had AMD for several years, but he has noticed a significant decrease in vision in his better...

Rare can still end up in your chair: consider these three rare systemic diseases before making a definitive diagnosis.(Patient Care)
July 15, 2006... Just because a disease is rare doesn't mean it won't end up in your chair. As a result, you must be knowledgeable of the rare systemic conditions that have ocular manifestations so you are not misled to make a diagnosis based solely on the...

Piece CCT into the glaucoma puzzle: pachymetry is now part of the standard of care for glaucoma patients. Here's how it can affect your diagnosis and management decisions.(central corneal thickness)
July 15, 2006... A healthy 53-year-old black male presents for a routine exam. His intraocular pressure measures 23mm Hg O.U and his cup-to-disc ratios measure 0.70 x 0.70 O.U. His rim tissue is healthy, and no nerve fiber layer defects are detected. Automated...

The dollars and sense of glaucoma technology: discover which glaucoma instruments are necessary for appropriate patient care and the best investments for your practice.(Glaucoma Report)
July 15, 2006... Failure to diagnose glaucoma is one of the most common causes for lawsuits against optometrists. Therefore, patients who need to be tested or treated for glaucoma must be identified. To test patients for glaucoma or glaucoma progression...

Nutrition & age-related macular degeneration.
July 15, 2006... IT IS PREDICTED that age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which now affects over 1.75 million people in the United States alone, will increase by over 50% to visually impair almost 3 million people in the US in less than 14 years. Since AMD...

How to break an acute attack of angle closure glaucoma: know how to relieve pupillary block in an acute attack. But also be aware of the wide spectrum of angle closure conditions.(12th Annual Glaucoma Report)(Cover story)
July 15, 2006... A 53-year-old Asian female presents to your office with a complaint of acute onset pain in the right eye along with blurred vision. Symptoms have been present for several hours, and the patient's ocular and medical histories are unremarkable....

If patient faints, be laid back: what do you do when a patient passes out in your office? Lay the patient back to restore blood and oxygen to the brain.
July 15, 2006... Q I had a patient pass out during an exam. Could this have been a vasovagal response? What is the proper protocol when such a thing happens? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A First, recognize the warning signs of a vasovagal response:...

Is it a family thing? Patient whose brother had 'eye problem' shows absence of foveal reflex and other peculiar changes.(Retina Quiz)
July 15, 2006... An 8-year-old Hispanic male presented for suspicion of an eye problem. The patient had no symptoms, but his older brother had an eye problem that subsequently required an operation. This patient was in good health, and his ocular history was...

Treating kids who have glaucoma: what do you do medically when children have glaucoma?
July 15, 2006... Congenital and pediatric glaucoma are a family of conditions that present, either in primary or secondary form, from birth to age 18. These conditions are typically managed surgically, with medical therapy serving as a temporizing measure...

Area purifier.(Lab Equipment)
July 15, 2006... The Air Mini, from AIT Industries, eliminates the strong smells that emanate from a grinding machine when edging Trivex, polycarbonate and high-index lenses. Specifically, the device reduces more than 98% of dust and smoke and 90% of odors that...

Lens pad.(Lab Equipment)
July 15, 2006... The Riki Pad, from Miki Sangyo, is designed for use on super hydrophobic-coated lenses during the edging process. The pad, which works in conjunction with a blocking pad, attaches to the lens to decrease the slipping angle. Also, it eliminates...

Acuvue Oasys parameter expansion.(Contact Lenses)
July 15, 2006... Acuvue Oasys, from Vistakon, is now available in 24 fully expanded parameters. These include Acuvue Oasys High Minus, in powers of -6.50D to -12.00D (0.50D steps) and Acuvue Oasys High Plus, in powers of +4.25D to +6.00D (0.25D steps) and...

PureVision Toric parameter expansion.(Contact Lenses)
July 15, 2006... PureVision Toric, from Bausch & Lomb, is now available in sphere powers of plano and -6.50D to -9.00D (0.50D steps) with cylinder powers of -0.75D to -1.75D (0.50D steps) and axes of 10[degrees] to 180[degrees] (10[degrees] steps). ...

Diameter expansion.
July 15, 2006... The Extreme [H.sub.2]O 54% lens, from Hydrogel Vision Corp., is now available in two diameter options: 13.6mm with an 8.3mm base curve and powers of +6.00D to -12.00D (0.50D steps above -6.00D) and 14.2mm with an 8.6mm base curve and powers of...

Disposable lens.
July 15, 2006... Ocu-Ease Elite, from Ocu-Ease Optical Products, Inc., is a disposable visibility-tinted contact lens made of methafilcon A (55% water content). The lens comes in 8.8mm and 8.4mm base curves and a 14.2mm diameter and is available in powers of...

Video magnifier upgrade.
July 15, 2006... The Merlin LCD desktop video magnifier, from Enhanced Vision, Inc., now has an easy-to-use sliding brightness lever and a three-button control panel. Also, the control panel has been moved from the base of the device to the Merlin LCD's 17- and...

Instructional video.(video about targeted ophthalmoscopy)(Brief article)
July 15, 2006... Optos has partnered with Volk Optical to create a video about targeted ophthalmoscopy. The video demonstrates how to use the Optomap Retinal Exam along with other forms of ophthalmoscopy, such as binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy, direct...

Web site upgrade.(Transitions.com)(Brief article)
July 15, 2006... Transitions.com, from Transitions Optical, Inc., has a new look and format, including larger font sizes and different colors for easier viewing by patients who have vision problems. Additional features include: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Meetings + conferences.(Calendar)
July 15, 2006... August * 5-6. Southwest Florida Optometric Association Educational Retreat, Sanibel, Fla. CE hours: 9. Contact Brad Middaugh, 6360 Presidential Court., Suite 5, Fort Myers, FL 33919-3501; call (239) 481-7799; fax (239) 481-3739; e-mail...

Lumpy lacrimal gland is a clue.
July 15, 2006... History A 32-year-old black female presented for examination with a chief complaint of bilateral temporal eyelid edema along with tearing of two weeks duration. Earlier in the day, another optometrist saw her and referred her to our...