Review of Optometry articles from May 2000

Review of Optometry archives from May 2000

INTRODUCTION.(to the Year 2000 Clinical Guide to Ophthalmic Drugs)(Year 2000 Directory of Ophthalmic Drugs)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... Welcome to the Year 2000 Clinical Guide to Ophthalmic Drugs. We are grateful to have had nearly 40 years of combined experience to clinically season the academic material within. We are all the more grateful to the hundreds of you each year who...

Glaucoma Medications.(Year 2000 Directory of Ophthalmic Drugs)
May 15, 2000... Patients with glaucoma represent some of the most poorly cared for people in the U.S., and probably the world. If there is one area where optometry can make a major contribution to public health, it is in the care of patients with glaucoma. We...

Corticosteroids.(Year 2000 Directory of Ophthalmic Drugs)
May 15, 2000... Topical corticosteroids remain the cornerstone of ocular anti-inflammatory therapy. Next to refractive error and dry eye, inflammatory conditions represent the most common clinical challenges. It is imperative that optometrists become...

Antibiotics.(Year 2000 Directory of Ophthalmic Drugs)
May 15, 2000... The reality of clinical care demands antibiotic monotherapy very rarely; perhaps the only class of drugs we use less than antibiotics are anti-fungals. Interestingly, this is the class of drug we often encounter when patients "fail to improve"...

Steroid -- Antibiotic Combinations.(Year 2000 Directory of Ophthalmic Drugs)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... These combination drugs enjoy extremely broad use within the ophthalmic community. Consider them primarily as steroids that also include an antibacterial agent. Use these medications when your primary goal is inflammation suppression and there...

Allergy Treatment Drugs.(Year 2000 Directory of Ophthalmic Drugs)
May 15, 2000... With so much attention focused on allergy treatment overall in health care, it's no surprise that new ocular allergy drugs debut each year. These join the growing number of therapeutic options to suppress the itching and redness associated with...

NSAIDs.(Year 2000 Directory of Ophthalmic Drugs)
May 15, 2000... (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) This class of drugs continues to grow in both popularity and FDA-approved indications. Control of corneal surface pain and photophobia is the cornerstone of their clinical usefulness, but there are...

Antiviral Drugs.(Year 2000 Directory of Ophthalmic Drugs)
May 15, 2000... Collectively, the herpes viruses and adenoviruses are the etiologic agents for over 1 million cases of viral infections annually. We have excellent antiherpes virus therapy, yet no medicine to kill the adenoviruses, which cause epidemic...

Dry Eye Products.(Year 2000 Directory of Ophthalmic Drugs)
May 15, 2000... Although we enjoy the privilege of writing numerous prescriptions every day in the office, our most commonly used drug class remains artificial tears. This is simply a reflection of eye disease epidemiology. As unexciting as dry eye is, it's...

Vitamin & Mineral Supplements.(Year 2000 Directory of Ophthalmic Drugs)
May 15, 2000... IS there a role for OTC vitamin and mineral supplementation in primary eye care? The answer is an absolute "Possibly"--and perhaps "Probably." However, the scientific literature is radically inconclusive. Most of the vitamin/mineral controversy...

Review of Optometry.(receives new editorial awards)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... Review of Optometry is clearing its mantel for few new editorial awards. The magazine got a finalist certificate from the American Business Press Jesse H. Neal national journalism awards for its "4th Annual Managed Care Survival Kit." RO also...

Weiss Ratings Inc.(third-quarter report)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... Almost half--47%--of HMOs lost money in third quarter 1999, Weiss Ratings Inc. reports. "For many of the surviving companies, it portends sharp premium increases, the redesigning of benefits, or some combination of both," says analyst Martin D....

Paradigm Medical Industries.(to acquire Vismed)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... Two manufacturers of diagnostic eye care equipment may join forces Paradigm Medical Industries is poised to acquire Vismed, Dicon's parent company.

VSP.(American Accreditation HealthCare Committee accredits VSP)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... URAC, the American Accreditation HealthCare Committee, has accredited VSP. URAC sets quality standards for managed care groups.

A Study in Contradictions: AAO, ASCRS Say Comanagement the 'Exception'.(American Academy of Ophthalmology; American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... When it comes to comanaging surgery, organized optometry and ophthalmology agree on few things. Now they agree on less since the two leading ophthalmology organizations issued a position paper that says comanagement should be the exception, not...

AOA, Vegas Style.(American Academy of Ophthalmology)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... Las Vegas will be the backdrop for next month's AOA Annual Congress. Besides CE and exhibits, the House of Delegates will be asked to reaffirm last year's approval of the American Board of Optometric Practice, consider changing the name of the...

Dr. Bennett Calls on Colleagues To Meet 'Unmet Needs'.(Irving Bennett keynote speech at Vison Expo/East)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... Comanagement is waning, managed care is expanding, and the competitive landscape for O.D.s is always shifting. Yet, there are plenty of opportunities ahead for independent O.D.s, Irving Bennett, O.D., told colleagues in his Vision Expo/East...

Varilux Jilts What Hoya Built.(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... Optometrists who deal with the 10 independent labs that Hoya Corporation of Japan acquired last month can already tell you what impact it's having on them: They can't get Varilux lenses from those labs anymore. Hoya acquired--and Essilor...

Malpractice: The Suit That Takes You To The Cleaners.(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... Congress should pass a law that would let patients sue their health-maintenance organization if they get harmed because the HMO denies them certain types of care. That's an opinion an overwhelming 91% of our National Panel, Doctors of Optometry...

Getting Out the Word About Computers and Eyes.(Computer Vision Care Task Force)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... Convinced that the public must become more aware of the vision-related problems that computer use can cause, leaders from optometric groups and the optical industry formed the Computer Vision Care Task Force. "Computer users often do many...

Who's Wasting Money Now?(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... This news came in the other day: The American Association of Health Plans was running TV ads that blame doctors for the high cost and purported low efficiency of health care. The price for these ads: $200,000. The irony is delicious: The...

Yokel Bites the Big Apple.(small town doctor comments on Vision Expo East)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... The noise, the hubbub, the confusion. The harried souls bumping and jostling. The alien smells and clouds of noxious gases smacking you in the face like hailstones. Whistles and sirens in the air as you swim through a sea of people. And all...

LETTERS & E-MAIL.(LASIK and light scatter; OSHA on ergonomics and computer vision)
May 15, 2000... How Does Light Scatter Through Eyes After LASIK? Editor: The otherwise excellent brief review article, "The Optical Aberrations of LASIK" (Refractive Surgery Update, February) is marred by one misstatement of optical theory. The authors'...

Spinning a New Web Toward Efficiency.(optometry on the Internet)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... One of the biggest changes we've seen in optometry in the past 2 years is the expanding role of the Internet. By now many of you--7 out of 10, according to a Review of Optometry survey--already conduct business over the Net. We may now be...

Taking a Marriage to Work.(hiring a spouse)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... The question of hiring a spouse to work in your practice should always raise a red flag. There's a basic rule about it: Don't do it. There are exceptions to every rule, including this one. If your spouse is a licensed professional and an...

New Processors Hot as Blazes.(overview)
May 15, 2000... A year ago I described processors with speeds of 300-400 MHz as "blazing." Now they're found on just about every entry-level computer. Today, we talk about speeds of 700-800 MHz--even 1 GHz--as "blazing." But the more things change, the more...

Good PALs Come In Small Frames.(progressive addition lenses)
May 15, 2000... Presbyopes want the small frames everyone else wants. Here's how to give them the PAL of their dreams. More of your presbyopic patients are asking about today's fashion frames with small eye sizes. Until recently, you or your optician had...

Business According to Plan.
May 15, 2000... Here's how to get started on creating this important tool for growing your practice. Whether you're planning to open a practice or are a seasoned practice owner, you need to write a business plan. There are a couple sound reasons for this....

What's New in Refractive Surgery.
May 15, 2000... As we continue to play a vital role in comanagement, the latest research offers additional insight about who's an appropriate candidate and how to manage post-op complications. Last year close to 1 million people underwent LASIK in the...

What's New in Cornea and Contact Lenses.
May 15, 2000... This year's research shows us how to solve difficult contact lens fits and provides new information on diagnosing and treating anterior segment disease. This year's ARVO conference offered us much new information in how to successfully fit...

What's New in Glaucoma.
May 15, 2000... Investigators focus on neuroprotection and ocular blood flow as promising avenues of research. The need for an effective glaucoma treatment that reaches beyond pressure control lends a sense of urgency to research into neuroprotection and...

What's New in Retinal Disease.
May 15, 2000... High-tech imaging techniques, lutein as macular protection, and useful information on diabetes follow-up highlight this year's research on the retina. Considerable research in the past year has gone toward evaluating ways to measure and...

'There's Something In my Eye, Doc!'.(Review of Symptoms, part IV)
May 15, 2000... What do you do when your patient says this to you? Here's the workup for what we call "foreign body sensation." Often patients come to your office with this complaint: "It feels like there's something in my eye." This can actually...

How to Detect The Signs of Lyme.
May 15, 2000... The incidence of the tick-borne spirochete infection is on the rise and spreading beyond the Northeast. Here's how to spot the signs and symptoms of disease and help patients get the treatment they need. In 1975 a mysterious outbreak of...

Why Are Surgeons Jilting Us?(optometrist-ophthalmologist comanagement problems)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... Q. I just got a letter from the cataract surgeon to whom I refer, saying that he will no longer be returning patients to me in the 90-day post-op period. What's going on? A. Optometrists around the country are be ginning to receive similar...

Two-for-One: Cataract And Refractive Surgery.(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... Q A 69-year-old patient with some nuclear sclerotic lens changes and a best corrected visual acuity of 20/30- wants to be less dependent on eyeglasses and contact lenses. Given his age, does it make sense to do refractive surgery, or should we...

Uncontrolled IOPs, Field Loss Dictate Surgery.(intraocular pressure)
May 15, 2000... A 65-year-old black male presented for evaluation of severe glaucoma that drops could not bring under control. He had a 15-year history of the disease, and had been treated with numerous topical medicines. Four years ago he received two...

Think It's AMD? Think Again.(age-related macular degeneration)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... A 64-year-old white male was referred by his optometrist for a retinal evaluation. The patient had received a diagnosis but could not remember the name. He was in good health and could recall no specific family history of eye problems. He did...

A New Weapon In the Fight Against Lice.(Stromectol)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... An 18-year-old male reports to your office with a 1-week history of itching, tearing and increasing redness in both eyes. Your examination reveals a reddened, crusted lid margin in both eyes. Close inspection with the slit lamp reveals mobile...

Titanium Gets Trendy.(Laser Edge Titanium fashion eyeglass frames from Safilo)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... Safilo's new Laser Edge Titanium collection is a "young-minded, trendy" collection of six new styles. These 100% titanium frames are laser-cut to achieve the thin, acetate style. Frame shapes range from semi-rimless micro-butterflies and...

Rodenstock's New Hinge.(eyeglass frames)
May 15, 2000... Rodenstock's new releases are unisex, stainless steel-combination frames with new disc hinge-screwless temple hinge technology. Style 4243 is available in colors GP/matte/shiny, brown and charcoal gray. Sizes are 50/17-140 and 52/17-145....

Ralph Springs Forward.(Ralph Lauren Eyewear from Safilo)
May 15, 2000... Ralph Lauren Eyewear from Safilo introduces six new frames for women. The RL645 and RL647 are both metal stainless frames, available in shiny bronze, aubergine, dark blue, silver and shiny pewter. RL645 is available in sizes 47/19-130 and...

For the Big and Tall.(Harley Davidson eyeglass frames from Viva)
May 15, 2000... Viva launches its Big and Tall Men's Collection from Harley Davidson, four new frames in larger-sized styles. HD 130 and HD 133 feature larger double bar bridge designs. HD 130 is available in antique brown, antique gunmetal and matte...

Sleek Sun Styles.(from Marchon Eyewear)
May 15, 2000... Cat eyes and rectangles highlight the new Fendi Occhiali line of sunwear, distributed by Marchon Eyewear. FS214 is an 8-base, Italian zyl wrap with elongated cat-eye shape. It's available for women in size 60/16-125. Colors include black...

Wavy Wear for Women.(from Lantis Eyewear)
May 15, 2000... Wavy Plastics for women are the newest sunwear offering in the OSCAR collection by Oscar de la Renta, from Lantis Eyewear. These frames mix plastics and metals, pairing monel metal temples with acetate frames. Polarized lenses are standard. ...

Eight Styles From Nine West.(Nine West Sunwear collection from Safilo)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... The Nine West Sunwear collection from Safilo features eight styles for women in metal, plastic and a combination. Sunglasses feature double laminated treatments and a wide range of colors. All styles can accommodate prescription lenses and...

SOLA Maximizes.(SOLA Optical USA offers SOLAMAX lens)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... SOLAMAX, the new progressive addition lens from SOLA Optical USA, has a near zone that's on average 33% larger than conventional PALs in small frames, and 22% larger in large frames. It can be fitted to a minimum height of 18mm. SOLAMAX...

AO's Fashionable Options.(American Optical introduces new eyewear)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... American Optical introduces AO Fashionwear Options, a selection of high-index lenses designed to meet a patient's lifestyle demands. Fashionwear Options includes AO Rugged Fashionwear in polycarbonate, AO Fashionwear 16 in high index, and...

New Gems From Pentax.(scratch-resistant eyeglass lenses)
May 15, 2000... DiamondClear, a polycarbonare lens with tough scratch-resistant hardcoat, from Pentax is for active patients. Available with or without Pentax anti-reflective coating and EasyClean topcoat, the lenses come in +3.00D to -7.50, with cylinder...

FDA OKS UltraVision's EpiCon.(contact lenses)
May 15, 2000... UltraVision's EpiCon contact lens, designed for patients with severe pathological conditions such as kerotoconus, has just received FDA approval. EpiCon is the second FDA approved carbosilfocon-based contact lens from UltraVision. UltraCon...

W-J Keeps 'em Coming.(Wesley Jessen offers bifocal contact lenses)
May 15, 2000... ProSoft Sports Performance contact lenses and FreshLook Progressive bifocal contact lenses are two new offerings from Wesley Jessen. ProSoft is a line of lenses designed to improve your patients' sports performance. The first in this...

Bottling Up Thera Tears.(from Advanced Vision Research)
May 15, 2000... Thera Tears dry eye formula, from Advanced Vision Research, is now available in a bottle. Thera Tears has been available in single-use containers. The bottle is for one- or two-drop dosing for eyes with mild to moderate dryness. Thera...

Getting in the Flow of Things.(Canon USA's Laser Blood Flowmeter CLBF-100)
May 15, 2000... The new Laser Blood Flowmeter CLBF-100, from Canon USA, is a non-invasive system which measures actual retinal blood velocity instantaneously. This is the first commercially available actual retinal blood velocity measurement in the field. ...

Upgrades From Reichert.(Reichert Ophthalmic Instruments)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... Reichert Ophthalmic Instruments has upgraded both its KR450 auto-keratometer/ refractor and AR350 auto-refractor. These devices both feature a new auto-measurement mode. The patient leans against the forehead rest to automatically activate...

Portable Pulsair.(tonometer from Keeler)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... New from Keeler is the Pulsair 3000 non-contact tonometer. The Pulsair 3000 is played a mean variance to Goldmann of 0.6mm Hg in clinical trials. The new puff control feature achieves more consistent readings with tighter spreads vs. existing...

W-J Stops Lens Resale.(Wesley Jessen imprint "Demo" on free trial lenses)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... Wesley Jessen has introduced colored contact lenses imprinted with the word "Demo" on the periphery of the lens. The company hopes to stop the resale of its free trial lenses. Illicit traffic in piano trial lenses has been growing with the...

The Computer Vision Tester.(from PRIO)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... PRIO'S new Computer Vision Tester looks more like a Windows desktop than the previous model. Technical functions remain the same, duplicating the light-emission characteristics of a computer display screen. Two versions are now available:...

Volk Keeps it Sterile.(Volk Optical)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... Volk Optical has introduced two new sterilization trays. Both are approved for use with ETO and STERRAD, and can hold one to six lenses at a time. The trays are autoclave safe when used with instruments such as the Volk Vitrectomy Handle and...

NuVision the New Deal.(from Keeler)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... Keeler's NuVision utilizes optical video technology in a lightweight, head-mounted visor for patients with severely impaired vision. A miniature video camera projects an image onto two small screens on the inside of the visor, the...

Jobson Publishing L.L.C.(has joint venture with Consortio of Seattle)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... Jobson Publishing L.L.C., publisher of Review of Optometry, has joined with Consortio of Seattle to unveil Sightstreet, designed to bring seamless electronic product ordering and information to eye doctors. Go to www.sightstreet.com.

E-Dr. Network's PRO (Patient Retention Online).(<www.e-dr.com>)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... E-Dr. Network's PRO (Patient Retention Online) helps you create a web site with information on products, services, prices and health-care news, and lets patients reorder contact lenses. It takes 15 minutes to set up. There is a set-up fee and...

CooperVision.(redesigns website)(<www.coopervision.com>)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... CooperVision has redesigned its web site to be a resource for both patients and practitioners. It's at www.coopervision.com.

Essilor.(launches presbyopia interactive website)(www.presbyopia.com)
May 15, 2000... Essilor has launched an interactive web site for presbyopia. Those unable to attend the Sixth Annual Varilux Presbyopia Forum in Portugal can participate online, by accessing www.presbyopia.com.

Vision Service Plan.(website <www.Eyefinity.com>)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... Vision Service Plan has established Eyefinity.com as the exclusive destination for all VSP electronic claims submission and other services. Go to www.Eyefinity.com.

SOLA.(new website is <www.SOLA.com>)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... SOLA'S new web site offers new tools and expanded resources for you and your patients. Go to www.SOLA.com.

First Insight.(new website <ParadEyes.com>)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... Look for a web site from First Insight, currently in preparation for a summer launch. ParadEyes.com has entered beta testing. The site will provide a single point of access for ordering ophthalmic products, services and resources via the Web.

Long-standing Burning Has Patient Returning.(hypothyroidism)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... A 59-year-old white female presented with a chief complaint of burning and tearing for 7 months. The photo shows what she looked like. Her ocular history was unremarkable for diseases, significant cataract, injuries or surgeries. Her systemic...

Ophthalmic Instruments.(overview)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... As the volume of optometric clinical procedures has increased over the years, so has our knowledge of instrumentation. Rather than discuss the more common-place instruments such as epilation forceps, foreign body removal devices, Alger brushes...

Maui Jim Gets Sporty.(sport sunglasses)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... The new line of sport sunglasses from Maui Jim features injection-molded polycarbonate lenses, air vents, rubber nose grips and a ClearShell hard coat to provide scratch resistance on both sides of the lenses. In neutral gray or Maui Rose, the...

The Dawning of SunSensors.(plastic photochromic lenses from Corning)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... Corning SunSensors plastic photochromic lenses are now available nationwide. SunSensors is a patented technology with photochromic molecules throughout the lens material. Lenses are available in gray: semifinished single vision, bifocals,...

Transitions' Quantum Leap.(Transitions Optical introduces Quantum Technologies polycarbonate lens)(Brief Article)
May 15, 2000... Transitions Optical has just introduced Quantum Technologies in a polycarbonate and high-index (1.67) lens. Transitions says no other lens gets darker faster or fades back faster, and their performance is consistent in all temperatures. ...