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Tidsskrift For Den Norske Laegeforening... Aug 2019Dry eye disease is a frequent reason for patients to seek help. In our experience, it is an underdiagnosed and undertreated condition. (Review)
Review
Dry eye disease is a frequent reason for patients to seek help. In our experience, it is an underdiagnosed and undertreated condition.
Topics: Dry Eye Syndromes; General Practitioners; Humans; Meibomian Glands; Ophthalmologists; Optometrists
PubMed: 31429248
DOI: 10.4045/tidsskr.18.0752 -
Clinical & Experimental Optometry Sep 2021A gap exists between best evidence and actual clinical care provided to patients. The advent of evidence-based practice was meant to address this gap by providing... (Review)
Review
A gap exists between best evidence and actual clinical care provided to patients. The advent of evidence-based practice was meant to address this gap by providing practitioners with a method to search, evaluate and incorporate evidence into practice. However, the gap continues to exist. The health research fields of and have evolved over the last few decades to assist practitioners in embedding research findings and best evidence into routine practice. Knowledge translation seeks to improve public health outcomes by facilitating the movement of best evidence from the bench to clinical practice. Implementation science is the study of methods to integrate research findings and evidence-based practice into routine practice. This literature review aims to revisit the concepts of evidence-based practice and to introduce knowledge translation and implementation science by exploring their roles and influences in the delivery of appropriate glaucoma care by optometrists.
Topics: Evidence-Based Practice; Humans; Implementation Science; Optometrists; Surveys and Questionnaires; Translational Research, Biomedical
PubMed: 33831335
DOI: 10.1080/08164622.2021.1898275 -
Clinical Optometry 2020To determine the current scope of practice with regards to cycloplegic examinations, specifically in the pediatric population. (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
To determine the current scope of practice with regards to cycloplegic examinations, specifically in the pediatric population.
METHODS
A comprehensive literature review was conducted using PubMed, ScienceDirect, Elsevier, and Google Scholar databases using keywords such as "cyclopentolate"; "tropicamide"; "pediatric"; "cycloplegia"; "atropine"; and "cycloplegic" from inception to October 2019.
RESULTS
Atropine has the strongest cycloplegic effect and is recommended for cases of large accommodative esotropia. Because of the undesired side effects and risks from atropine, cyclopentolate has been found to offer a very effective cycloplegia even for moderate to high hyperopia and has become the standard of care for traditional pediatric cycloplegic exams. Tropicamide has also been shown to offer adequate cycloplegia with less toxicity and side effects. Of all agents, tropicamide presents the least side effects and toxicity, whereas atropine presents the greatest. Cyclopentolate is a very safe cycloplegic agent that has risk of toxicity which increases with higher doses and concentrations.
CONCLUSION
The American Optometric Association's current pediatric cycloplegic guidelines have proven both safe and effective, as they recommend a conservative approach of using cyclopentolate 0.5% in infants and cyclopentolate 1% in those older than one-year old to avoid undesired side effects. Topical ophthalmic drops and spray instillation have both proved equally efficacious and therefore each have their place within a clinical setting. Using Cycolmydril under six months old and cyclopentolate 1% over 6 months old as recommended by the AAO, also provides a safe and effective guideline for cycloplegic examinations within the pediatric population.
PubMed: 32904515
DOI: 10.2147/OPTO.S217645 -
Clinical Optometry 2017Infantile nystagmus (IN), previously known as congenital nystagmus, is an involuntary to-and-fro movement of the eyes that persists throughout life. IN is one of three... (Review)
Review
Infantile nystagmus (IN), previously known as congenital nystagmus, is an involuntary to-and-fro movement of the eyes that persists throughout life. IN is one of three types of early-onset nystagmus that begin in infancy, alongside fusion maldevelopment nystagmus syndrome and spasmus nutans syndrome. Optometrists may also encounter patients with acquired nystagmus. The features of IN overlap largely with those of fusion maldevelopment nystagmus syndrome, spasmus nutans syndrome, and acquired nystagmus, yet the management for each subtype is different. Therefore, the optometrist's role is to accurately discern IN from other forms of nystagmus and to manage accordingly. As IN is a lifelong condition, its presence not only affects the visual function of the individual but also their quality of life, both socially and psychologically. In this report, we focus on the approaches that involve optometrists in the investigation and management of patients with IN. Management includes the prescription of optical treatments, low-vision rehabilitation, and other interventions such as encouraging the use of the null zone and referral to support groups. Other treatments available via ophthalmologists are also briefly discussed in the article.
PubMed: 30214368
DOI: 10.2147/OPTO.S126214 -
Clinical Optometry 2016Blepharitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the eyelid margin and is a common cause of discomfort and irritation among people of all ages, ethnicity, and... (Review)
Review
Blepharitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the eyelid margin and is a common cause of discomfort and irritation among people of all ages, ethnicity, and sex. In general, blepharitis is not a sight-threatening condition, but if left untreated has the potential to cause keratopathy, corneal neovascularization and ulceration, and permanent alterations in eyelid morphology. Historically, blepharitis has been categorized according to multiple structural classifications, including anatomic location, duration, and etiology. The substantial overlap of symptoms and signs from the differing structural classifications has led to initial misdiagnoses, clinical underreporting, and variability in treatment of blepharitis. The multifactorial nature is still not fully appreciated but infection and inflammation have been identified as the primary contributors. Ongoing clinical research continues the pursuit for a treatment panacea; however, long-term management of the underlying causes of blepharitis remains the best clinical approach. Here, we will attempt to review the existing literature as it pertains to clinical management of blepharitis and address a stepwise approach to diagnosis, treatment, and management.
PubMed: 30214351
DOI: 10.2147/OPTO.S84795 -
Clinical & Experimental Optometry Jul 2019Schizophrenia, a neurodevelopmental mental disorder with heterogeneous features, poses major social and health-care challenges in Australia and worldwide. Ophthalmic... (Review)
Review
Schizophrenia, a neurodevelopmental mental disorder with heterogeneous features, poses major social and health-care challenges in Australia and worldwide. Ophthalmic findings in patients with schizophrenia are varied and include conditions that result from psychotropic complications such as sun gazing, heritable genetic endophenotypes such as oculomotor abnormalities and strabismus, treatment-related complications such as chlorpromazine lenticular and corneal deposits, and co-morbid health problems such as poor compliance. This report reviews special considerations for eye care in schizophrenia and provides case examples to illustrate the complexity of problems that optometrists may encounter with this population.
Topics: Delivery of Health Care; Eye Diseases; Humans; Optometrists; Schizophrenia
PubMed: 30136297
DOI: 10.1111/cxo.12826 -
Children (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2022This review discusses the current practices, attitudes, and trends in diagnosing and managing keratoconus (KC) in adults and children by optometrists and... (Review)
Review
This review discusses the current practices, attitudes, and trends in diagnosing and managing keratoconus (KC) in adults and children by optometrists and ophthalmologists in order to highlight the differences on a global scale. Two independent reviewers searched the electronic databases and grey literature for all potential articles published from 1 January 2000 to 1 June 2022 on management of KC. Keywords used in searches included "keratoconus", "diagnosis", "management", "treatment", "attitude", "practices", "opinion", "optometrist", "ophthalmologist", "consensus", and "protocol". A total of 19 articles was included in this review-12 from the database search and seven from the grey literature. Although a common stepwise approach of non-surgical management was noted, there were differences in the rates of prescribing rigid gas permeable lenses. Furthermore, while clinicians agreed on the need for early diagnosis, the timeline and type of referral varied significantly. A similar discordance was found in the milestones for surgical intervention and preferred surgical techniques. Practice patterns in keratoconus diagnosis and management vary throughout the world. Multiple recommendations and suggestions to minimise the differences have been provided in the literature, with the main themes being improvement in education, interdisciplinary patient care, and further research to reach consensus.
PubMed: 36553416
DOI: 10.3390/children9121973 -
Journal of Optometry 2023This work seeks to identify the most impactful journals, papers, authors, institutions, and countries that cite optometry journal articles.
PURPOSE
This work seeks to identify the most impactful journals, papers, authors, institutions, and countries that cite optometry journal articles.
METHODS
The Scopus database was searched for papers citing at least one article published in any of the 18 optometry journals included in that database (i.e. 'optometry articles'). The 10 most highly cited papers that cite optometry journal articles were determined from 82,830 papers found. A h-index for "optometry journal citations" (the h-index) was derived for each entity in the categories of journals, papers, authors, institutions and countries to serve as a measure of impact.
RESULTS
The h-index of the body of papers citing optometry journal articles is 370. Papers citing optometry journal articles have themselves been cited 2,054,816 times. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (h = 154) is the most impactful journal citing optometry articles and Optometry and Vision Science the most prolific (5310 papers). The most impactful paper citing optometry journal articles (5725 citations) was published in Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. Ophthalmologist Seang Mei Saw (h = 69) is the most impactful author and optometrist Nathan Efron is the most prolific (288 papers). Harvard University (h = 127) is the most impactful and UNSW Sydney is the most prolific institution (1761 papers). The United States is the most impactful and prolific nation (h = 313; 28,485 papers).
CONCLUSIONS
Optometry journal articles are cited extensively by optometrists, ophthalmologists, and vision scientists world-wide, as well as authors from a broad spectrum of non-ophthalmic research domains. This work confirms the utility and influence of optometry journals.
Topics: Humans; United States; Optometry; Periodicals as Topic; Bibliometrics; Ophthalmology; Databases, Factual
PubMed: 37271623
DOI: 10.1016/j.optom.2023.05.002 -
Clinical & Experimental Optometry Jul 2017This paper provides an updated version of the paper: Infection control guidelines for optometrists 2007. (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
This paper provides an updated version of the paper: Infection control guidelines for optometrists 2007.
METHODS
Information from peer-reviewed journal articles, guidelines from professional societies, and government health department and other websites and instructions from equipment manufacturers were considered in determining infection risk factors in optometric practice. They were used to revise the recommendations on disinfection, sterilisation and reprocessing procedures for instrumentation and other equipment used in optometric practice as well as personal infection control measures to be undertaken by staff.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS
Optometrists and optometric practice staff should adopt measures to minimise the risk of transmission of infection. These include appropriate hand-washing, staff vaccinations, single use instruments/equipment, appropriate disposal of waste, appropriate methods of reprocessing where items are reused, routine employment of standard infection control precautions and application of more rigorous procedures for individuals who are known to be infected or immuno-suppressed. Information provided to patients regarding infection control procedures in topical drug administration, contact lens wear and use of eye make-up are additional considerations for optometrists.
Topics: Eye Infections; Humans; Infection Control; Optometrists; Optometry; Practice Guidelines as Topic
PubMed: 28597930
DOI: 10.1111/cxo.12544