CONTACT LENSES TODAY
July 24, 2005
Contact Lenses Today® is edited by Dr. Joseph T. Barr and the staff of Contact Lens Spectrum. This week CLToday® reaches
more than 10,000 readers in 74 countries.
Risk of Eye Injury in the U.S.
Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Department of Ophthalmology used data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s
National Electronic Injury Surveillance System to estimate the number of patients treated in U.S. emergency rooms for injury to the eye. They calculated the overall rate of
injury is 3.15 per 1,000 citizens. They also found that patients in their 20s and 30s are at highest risk. Men, American Indians and African Americans also showed a higher
prevalence. Most injuries occurred in the home and contusions and abrasions were most common types of injury.
VisionCRC Examines Aboriginal Eye Care
Vision CRC has teamed with the International Center for Eyecare Education (ICEE) and
the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council (AHMRC)
of Australia to address accessibility and cultural barriers to health care delivery for this population. Local optometrists working through the regional Aboriginal Medical
Service (AMS) have provided 10,000 pairs of glasses to Aboriginal people in the last five years. Nearly 20% of Aboriginal people require spectacle correction due to
refractive error. The program was also designed to provide care for patients with diabetes, the prevalence of which is between 10 and 30%. Doctors found 16% of patients
with previously diagnosed diabetes had some level of diabetic retinopathy.
The Accelerated Stabilization Design of ACUVUE® ADVANCE™ for ASTIGMATISM
The biggest breakthrough in toric contact lens technology in 15 years, ACUVUE® ADVANCE™ Brand Contact Lenses for
ASTIGMATISM harnesses the power of the blink to quickly orient and stabilize the lens in approximately 60 seconds. The multiple “active zones” of the proprietary
Accelerated Stabilization Design work with the eyelids to balance the lens in place when the lens is properly aligned and quickly re-align the lens if it rotates
out of position. This new design provides your patients with crisp, stable, all-day vision and provides doctors with a fast, predictable fit.
--ADVERTISING
Total Eye Makeover
CIBA Vision and mark, the beauty experts from Avon, are offering patients an eye makeover. With the purchase of two or more boxes of Freshlook
color contact lenses, patients are eligible to receive a collection of four mark eye shadows and a get-this-look guide in a tweed wristlet that carries both the lenses and
make-up.
Art Optical Introduces New Multifocal
Art Optical introduces Renovation, a lens designed for presbyopes who require add powers over +2.25D. The company says ray-tracing technology
enables the elimination of spherical aberration and ensures proper focus throughout all ranges of vision. The lenses are available with an optional six-month warranty.
Abstract:
Acanthamoeba On the Rise in the Tropics
A 29 year-old Jamaican woman presented with severe pain, redness and swelling in both eyes. She was a non-compliant contact lens wearer.
Doctors prescribed topical ciprofloxacin drops, topical acyclovir ointment and topical atropine drops for a possible microbial/viral keratitis. The patient’s response
was inadequate. Scrapings from her cornea, contact lenses and contact lens case revealed acanthamoeba polyphaga. A new treatment regimen was determined,
including 200mg of oral ketoconazole twice a day, chlorhexidine 0.02% drops hourly, ciprofloxacin drops every four hours and atropine 1% every 12 hours. This produced
dramatic results, but the patient subsequently suffered slow corneal epithelial re-growth with severe scarring, vascularization and cortical lens opacification. She was
eventually referred for penetrating keratoplasty and cataract surgery.
This is the first case of severe keratitis caused by acanthamoeba in Jamaica, a popular
vacation spot. Researchers conclude this emerging pathogen can be a cause of severe keratitis in the tropics.
Wynter-Allison Z, Morales JL, Calder D, Radlein K, Ortega-Rivas A, Lindo JF.
Acanthamoeba infection as a cause of
severe keratitis in a soft contact lens wearer in Jamaica.
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2005 Jul;73(1):92-4.
Editor's Commentary:
You Still Need Spectacles
I am a spectacle wearer who sometimes wears contact lenses. There are probably too few of us part-time, occasional contact lens wearers. And,
there are far too many habitual contact lens wearers who don’t have a good pair of current, nice, stylish eyeglasses. It’s important to ask successful contact lens wearers
about their spectacle situation in case of emergencies such as running out of soft lenses, loss or damage of GP lenses, occasional illness or eye complications. It is
especially important that patients don’t over-wear their contact lenses when they are otherwise challenged and contact lens wear may be even riskier. In some cases, taking
a break from lens wear in the evening or on the weekend while relaxing and reading or watching television, can make periods of contact lens wear even more comfortable. You
and your staff should consistently ensure that patients’ “back-up” spectacles are current and optimal.
Fitting Tip:
Keep it Quiet
When I check for eye dominance while fitting a simultaneous or monovision contact lens, I find it helpful not to tell the patient what I am
doing until after I'm finished. Some of my patients think hand dominance (left- or right-handed) somehow corresponds to eye dominance. I find I get better results by not
biasing their opinion before the test.
--Kelvin Tang, O.D.
Los Angeles,
Calif.
The Global Orthokeratology Symposium
is this week (July 28 to 31) in Chicago. There are still a few days left to register. The meeting is being CE approved by COPE and the
Illinois State Board of Optometry for over 20 hours.
--ADVERTISING
This month at www.siliconehydrogels.org http://www.siliconehydrogels.org, review the daily wear performance of silicone
hydrogels; read the results of contact angle analysis of lens wettability; and scan a synopsis of silicone hydrogels research at ARVO 2005.
Report adverse contact lens reactions here: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/ or call
(800) FDA-1088.
Access a reporting form for complications you've seen that were a result of contact lenses dispensed without a valid prescription
at the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry's (ARBO's) Web
site: http://www.arbo.org/arbo.asp?dt=R&doc=Complications. Complete and send the form online or print it
out and fax it to (866) 886-6164.
Send your favorite tips to tips@cltoday.com -- if your tip is selected
as 'Best of the Month,' you'll receive a free golf shirt (see http://www.CLToday.com for details). Please include your full name,
degree or title and city/state/country.
Visit Contact Lens Spectrum (http://www.clspectrum.com) for interactive clinical posters and issue archives.
Visit Contact Lenses Today for our Best Fitting Tips.
CLToday Services: Subscribe; Change or Remove your e-mail
address; submit news to news@cltoday.com; or, fax 1-215-643-3902.