Cheryl Guttman Krader, BS, Pharm

Optometrists not yet involved in co-managing cataract surgery patients should consider adding this dimension to their practice because it has multiple benefits for all parties involved, Loretta Ng, OD, said recently.

Results of research focusing on driver safety suggest that it may be possible to improve current techniques of screening for at-risk drivers through the addition of new tests of attentional abilities.

Optimal keratoplasty (Opti-K, NTK Enterprises), a novel non-invasive laser keratoplasty procedure, is a safe and promising treatment for presbyopia in emmetropes and low hyperopes, reported Sherry L. Audycki, OD, recently.

You might be reluctant to fit more children in contact lenses because you think it's difficult and time-consuming.

A proprietary hybrid contact lens appears to be a good option for restoring vision in eyes with keratoconus or post-LASIK ectasia.

The availability of effective treatment for exudative age-related macular degeneration has placed an onus on optometrists to be more aggressive in following AMD patients in order to provide timely referral when anti-VEGF treatment becomes indicated.

Recent results from analyses performed by investigators in the Steroids for Corneal Ulcers Trial focusing on patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection showed that, just as in overall study population, adjunctive corticosteroid use did not affect treatment outcomes or safety.

As the prevalence of myopia increases worldwide, optometrists need to be informed about methods for myopia control and be prepared to discuss the options with concerned patients.

Corneal and other ocular manifestations are features of many lysosomal storage diseases, and so you can play an important role in helping to diagnose these genetic disorders.

Visual field testing can be frustrating for patients, but it should remain a core component of patient care because it provides essential information about glaucoma progression.

The glaucoma surgery armamentarium has increased in recent years to include several alternatives to trabeculectomy with potential safety advantages.

The prevalence of non-adherence with IOP-lowering medications underscores the need for optometrists to frequently re-assess medication use in glaucoma patients and consider therapies that will enable compliance and prevent it from becoming an efficacy-limiting issue.

Research investigating the epidemiology of IOP-lowering medication use in the U.S. population will hopefully suggest targets for efforts designed to improve medication access and patient care, one expert says.

Low vision care is a much needed service that can be personally gratifying for optometrists as well as a financially rewarding opportunity.

A new multipurpose diagnostic instrument, featuring an infrared illumination system, is a useful tool for imaging meibomian gland structures in the upper and lower lids.

Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography is demonstrating itself to be useful tool for measuring retinal shape and cone photoreceptor density across the retina.

Corneal staining is a useful differential diagnostic tool, but one that is sometimes misunderstood.

Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography is an ideal tool for retinal layer-by-layer analysis and is revolutionizing the identification and localization of various retinal pathologies.

B-scan ultrasound is very useful technology for imaging and diagnosing posterior segment pathology.

Solution-induced corneal staining is a relatively common finding in contact lens wearers that must be taken seriously because it is a sign of corneal compromise that may lead to infiltrative keratitis.

Understanding the features of the different types of pediatric nystagmus is the basis for determining the etiology of the problem and counseling parents about the need for further evaluation, possible treatments, and their child's prognosis.

Care solutiosn play a major role in determining contact lens safety and comfort, and composition of the care product clearly matters.

Topical bacitracin ointment may be an appropriate, well-tolerated option for treatment of superficial external ocular bacterial infections.

Analyses of visual acuity results from phase III clinical trials investigating Q.D. bromfenac sodium ophthalmic solution 0.09% for treatment of inflammation and reduction of pain after cataract surgery show treatment with this nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug provides functional benefits in addition to its anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.

A new formulation of a fixed antibiotic/corticosteroid combination containing tobramycin and dexamethasone offers several improved characteristics that make it a viable therapeutic option for management of inflammatory ocular conditions where a risk of bacterial ocular infection exists.

A post hoc analysis of data collected in two published, pivotal clinical trials demonstrates that in addition to its efficacy for treating inflammation following ocular surgery, loteprednol etabonate ophthalmic suspension 0.5% provides statistically significant relief of postoperative pain and other symptoms.

Positive results from recent studies evaluating intravitreal steroids and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents for the treatment of retinal vein occlusions have resulted in FDA approvals for two products and may be expected to shape a new standard of care for these vision-threatening disorders.

Although exudative disease accounts for 90% of cases of vision loss due to age-related macular degeneration, only 10% of affected patients have exudative form.

Outcomes of LASIK have continued to improve thanks to advances in technology and medical management.

Results from a study seem to dispel the myth that comfort and physiology may affect patients who are initiating contact lens wear.