Ophthalmology
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To examine the efficacy of various disinfection methods for reusable tonometer prisms in eye care and to highlight how disinfectants can damage tonometer tips and cause subsequent patient harm. ⋯ Sodium hypochlorite (dilute bleach) offers effective disinfection against adenovirus and HSV, the viruses commonly associated with nosocomial outbreaks in eye care. Tonometer prisms should be examined regularly for signs of damage.
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Comparative Study
Comparing Access to Laser Capsulotomy Performed by Optometrists and Ophthalmologists in Oklahoma by Calculated Driving Distance and Time.
To quantify Medicare beneficiary proximity to his or her yttrium-aluminum-garnet (YAG) laser capsulotomy-providing ophthalmologist and optometrist in Oklahoma by calculating driving distances and times. ⋯ For Medicare beneficiaries, there was no difference in geographic access to YAG laser capsulotomy whether performed by an Oklahoma ophthalmologist or optometrist as determined by calculated driving distances and times.
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To characterize the frequency, nature, and regulatory mechanisms by which ophthalmic devices are iteratively modified after initial Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Premarket Approval (PMA). ⋯ Most ophthalmic devices approved via the FDA's PMA pathway have undergone extensive revisions, including serial design and labeling changes, since their initial approvals, often without supporting clinical data. Ophthalmologists should take into consideration that cumulative revisions may render the clinical evidence that supported an original FDA approval less relevant to newer device models.
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Undertake a systematic investigation into associations between genetic predictors of lipid fractions and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) risk. ⋯ Some genetic evidence suggests that HDL-cholesterol is a causal risk factor for AMD risk and that increasing HDL-cholesterol (particularly via CETP inhibition) will increase AMD risk.