Review of Optometry articles from October 2003

Review of Optometry archives from October 2003

Eye disease up, exams down: more seniors are developing eye disease, but get eye exams too infrequently.(News Review)
October 15, 2003... As the elderly live longer, the prevalence of eye disease is rising, more so than previously expected. Yet, the number of eye exams for those with chronic eye disease falls far short of what's recommended. This comes from two related...

Glaucomatrac.(In the News)(Brief Article)
October 15, 2003... Glaucomatrac, a free online service for your tech-savvy glaucoma patients, can help them keep a record of intraocular pressure, eye test results and eye drops. "It is extremely important, given the decreasing time physicians spend with their...

Vistakon.(In the News)(Brief Article)
October 15, 2003... Vistakon has asked a federal court in Jacksonville, Fla., for a declaratory judgement against CIBA Vision. In court papers filed last month, the Johnson Johnson subsidiary asked the court to declare that its Acuvue Advance silicone hydrogel...

Among more than 400 children given comprehensive eye exams, 31% required follow up care.(In the News)(Brief Article)
October 15, 2003... Among more than 400 children given comprehensive eye exams, 31% required follow-up care. This result comes from Vision Service Plan's Get Focused program, where volunteer optometrists offered exams at minor league ball games and other events...

Bill to release contact lens Rxes to patients. (prescriptions).(News Review)
October 15, 2003... At a Congressional committee hearing on the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act (H.R. 2221), no one debated whether contact lens wearers have a right to their prescriptions. Rather, testimony centered on how prescriptions could be verified....

Shorten O.D.s' tour of duty, AOA says. (eye doctors, American Optometric Association).(News Review)(Brief Article)
October 15, 2003... Optometrists who double as military reservists may get a break in the amount of time they are required to serve in active duty if the U.S. Department of Defense approves a recent AOA resolution. The AOA resolution, adopted in June, would...

New grant programs available to optometrists.(News Review)(Brief Article)
October 15, 2003... Two optometric organizations launched new grant programs for research development and for meeting travel expenses. The Optometric Glaucoma Society (OGS) is offering grants of up to $10,000 for glaucoma research. The grants are intended to...

Tears tell tale of diabetic blood sugar.(News Review)(Brief Article)
October 15, 2003... Tears may be a good source in determining the amount of blood sugar in a diabetic patient, according to an August study in the Journal of Association of Physicians of India. A research team from the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology in...

The American dream in the 21st century; if you lose sight of why you chose this path, the profession will only grow more fractured.(Editor's Page)(Editorial)
October 15, 2003... Every month, I get quite a few letters in response to my editorials--some complimentary, others critical. Following the September (2003) editorial concerning unethical media tactics, however, I received more words of wisdom than usual. One...

One-armed bandit strikes again; where is the future of our profession?(Chairside)
October 15, 2003... I believe in signs and omens. When a dog barks, a fly buzzes by, or--and this message seems so clear to me that I cannot imagine anyone who could not understand it--a bird poops on my car, I know that it is an important message from the...

His honor to serve: optometrist Thomas Urosevich sacrifices precious moments with family and closes his practice in order to serve his country.
October 15, 2003... For the past eight months, the only Army optometrist in Kuwait has faithfully cared for injured U.S. troops, who battled and are now trying to keep peace in war-torn Iraq. But he's not worried just for his own safety; another concern tugs the...

How macular maps may help diagnose glaucoma; retinal thickness mapping of the paramacular area could add a new, and crucial, key to diagnosis.(Technology)
October 15, 2003... Clinicians use retinal mapping equipment to study the nerve fiber layer, seeking signs of glaucoma-related defects. But new studies demonstrate further uses for retinal mapping equipment. The difference is that researchers are now looking...

What's new in AR? Advances in technology and rigorous testing have greatly improved the quality of anti-reflective lenses.(Ophthalmic Lenses)
October 15, 2003... Tired of patients thinking if they buy AR lenses, they will wind up with a lemon of an investment in just one-month, after their anti-reflective coating has sloughed away to nothing? Rest assured. AR specialists attest that advances in...

Fitting infants and toddlers with contact lenses: fitting this population group may seem like a daunting task, but working with these patients could be a very rewarding experience.(Contact Lenses)
October 15, 2003... The contact lens aspect of optometric practice is always an exciting and challenging component of our profession. Working with infants and toddlers brings this excitement and challenge to a new level and often results in our most rewarding...

Solving high myopic corrections: NIGHT DAY[R] lenses and spectacles correct high myopia in this 29-year-old patient.(Case Report)
October 15, 2003... History A 29-year-old Caucasian male hospital worker presented with a chief complaint of very poor peripheral vision due to distortion caused by his current spectacles. He was also concerned with the cosmetic appearance of the thick...

A prostaglandin primer: prostaglandin analogs have revolutionized the medical management of glaucoma.(Therapeutics)
October 15, 2003... A twenty-year-old black female, with no significant visual or ocular complaints, presents to your office for a new pair of contact lenses. Your examination finds she has elevated intraocular pressure, early visual field loss and possibly nerve...

Refractive surgery stagnates: patients and O.D.s are still skeptical of ocular surgical management. (eye doctors).(National Panel)
October 15, 2003... Though more O.D.s are comanaging refractive surgery patients, the number of patients having procedures has not changed. These findings represent the answers of 212 optometrists who responded to our latest National Panel, Doctors of Optometry...

Refractive Surgery Grand Rounds: these cases illustrate why we must be prepared when things go wrong.(9th Annual Refractive Surgery Report)
October 15, 2003... Although we will focus on complications, this should not overshadow the satisfactory results that many patients achieve with LASIK. Improvements in patient selection, technique and equipment, and the advent of wavefront-guided ablations promise...

The Ultimate Continuous Wear Symposium: 2003 Update: AOA CLCS meeting puts spotlight on clinical and practice management issues.(American Optometric Association, Contact Lens Cornea Section)
October 15, 2003... The message was emphatic from five leading clinicians at a recent symposium: silicone hydrogel soft contact lenses are not just another contact lens, but represent a breakthrough in technology that will transform contact lens practice. The...

Post-op punctal plug protrudes: punctal plugs are an excellent option for many patients with post-LASIK dry eye.(Case Report)
October 15, 2003... A 39-year-old female patient presented with a foreign body sensation in right lower lid. It started two days ago, and had intensified within the last few hours. She suspected her punctal plug had become "loose." Her ocular history included...

Getting behind the mask of HSV: here's what we're learning about managing herpetic eye disease. (herpes simplex virus).(Research Review)
October 15, 2003... Herpes simplex virus (HSV), a microbial pathogen that infects 60-90% of the adult world population, can have devastating consequences in the eye and is one of the leading causes of infectious blindness in the world. (1,2) [ILLUSTRATION...

Pearls for success with punctal plugs: these tips can help you avoid possible complications with dry eye occlusion.(Comanagement QA)
October 15, 2003... Q An O.D. asks, "I recently consulted on a malpractice case in which a colleague inserted a punctal plug that was too small. The domed plug dropped down into the canaliculus, resulting in infection, epiphora and dacryocystitis. How can I...

Which generation should you use? Some think fourth-generation fluoroquinolones are the best choice.(Cornea Contact Lens QA)
October 15, 2003... Q A patient presented with a corneal abrasion following contact lens wear. Should I use one of the newer generation fluoroquinolones for corneal prophylaxis? A That depends on who you ask. One argument is that the fourth-generation...

Is blur in child more than myopia? Mottled RPE and 'blind' uncle suggest this possibility. (retinal pigment epithelium).(Retina Quiz)
October 15, 2003... An 8-year-old Hispanic male presented with blurred vision at distance and near. He also reported random headaches in the occipital region for which he often has to lie down for relief. The patient's medical history was otherwise unremarkable....

Polycarbonate: ophthalmic lenses.(Product Review)(Brief Article)
October 15, 2003... Shamir Insight's Piccolo is now available in polycarbonate material making it suitable for mounting in three piece and rimless frames. Piccolo is designed using the company's Eye-Point technology that simulates the human eye during the lens...

High cylinder Toric: contact lenses.(Product Review)(Brief Article)
October 15, 2003... SofLens66 Toric from Bausch Lomb now comes in a high cylinder version. The new lens has -2.75D of cylinder that corrects spheres from plano to -9.00D. This rounds out the SofLens correction range to include spheres from +6.00D to -9.00D with...

Moisturizing drop: contact lens care.(Product Review)(Brief Article)
October 15, 2003... A new blink-activated drop from CIBA Vision replicates the behavior of the body's natural tears to keep lenses moist. Aquify mimics natural tears with sodium hyaluronate that becomes thinner during blinking and then thicker to resist drainage....

Homeopathic Drop: dry eye.(Product Review)(Brief Article)
October 15, 2003... A new alternative for patients with dry irritated eyes is available in Prima Vu's Herbal Eye Drops. These drops use German chamomile with naturally soothing properties and euphrasia, which helps clean the eye of impurities to alleviate further...

Hormone therapy.(Product Review)(Brief Article)
October 15, 2003... As women age and hormones change, estrogen depletion contributes to the drying of body tissues, including the eye. Vision Answer for Women, a new supplement drop, aims to promote optimal eye health for women by providing antioxidants Vitamin...

Portable light: low vision.(Product Review)(Brief Article)
October 15, 2003... Verilux has added a new, portable light to its HappyEyes line. The new HappyEyes Clamp Lamp simulates daylight's balanced spectrum and includes the company's flicker elimination technology. HappyEyes fixtures increase contrast and reduce glare...

Scotomascope: diagnostic instruments.(Product Review)(Brief Article)
October 15, 2003... The new Khouri Scotomascope from Gulden Ophthalmics helps detect scotomas earlier than an Amsler Grid, the company says. The instrument provides enhanced detection of subtle scotomas (relative or absolute) and metamorphosis in the central...

Lens blocker: lab equipment.(Product Review)(Brief Article)
October 15, 2003... The AcuBlock is an alloy version of Gerber Coburn's Eclipse Surface Blocker line of digital lens layout and blocking systems. An alternative to pin-style lens surfacing blocks, the AcuBlock's design conforms to the lab's existing generator,...

Stainless steel.(Ophthalmic Frames)(Brief Article)
October 15, 2003... Nautica's new additions to its stainless steel eyewear collection feature ultra-thin metal profiles for fall. * N7079 is a round eyeshape frame with a satin finish in colors like cafe, natural and gunmetal. It's available in size 43/19-140....

Rimless plastic.(Ophthalmic Frames)(Brief Article)
October 15, 2003... Eleven new styles are now available as part of the recently launched Ray-Ban optical collection. Three rimless plastic frames feature colorful temples and bridges. Colors include cherry red, bright blue, light blue, crystal, honey and deep...

Protective eyewear.(Ophthalmic Frames)(Brief Article)
October 15, 2003... Two new frames are available as part of Titmus Optical's Exclusive and Trendsetters collections. A combination metal front with contoured plastic temples, EX274 comes in two sizes: 48/20-140 and 50/20-145 and colors brown and black. TR306S, a...

Meetings conferences.(Calendar)
October 15, 2003... November * 7-8. Wisconsin Optometric Association's Primary Care Symposium 2003. Pewaukee, Wis. CE hours: 9. Contact Joleen Breunig, 5721 Odana Road, No. 110, Madison, WI 537 19; call (608) 274-4322; fax (608) 274-8646; e-mail...

Painless red eyes with illness.(Diagnostic Quiz)
October 15, 2003... History A 42-year-old black female presented complaining of intermittent redness in both eyes without pain over the previous two-month period. Her ocular history was noncontributory for infection, trauma or exposure to chemicals or...