Pediatrics

Charleston, SC-When prescribing brimonidine 0.2% b.i.d. as monotherapy for ocular hypertension or primary open-angle glaucoma, physicians should make sure that the drug maintains its effectiveness in the late afternoon and may want to add a third drop to the daily dosage, said William C. Stewart, MD.

La Jolla, CA-Results from murine studies indicate that a population of adult bone marrow-derived hematopoietic stem cells injected intravitreally will selectively target activated astrocytes, become incorporated into blood vessels, and promote or inhibit retinal angiogenesis, reported Martin Friedlander, MD, PhD.

Jacksonville, FL-Vistakon hopes Grammy award-winning singer Enrique Iglesias will be a hero to millions of teenage contact lens wearers.

Dallas-Essilor Laboratories of America will add about $7 million in annual sales to its totals with the purchase of the assets of three laboratories in Phoenix, Tucson, and Denver.

Fort Worth, TX-The FDA will allow Alcon to add the words "Lasting Comfort" and new rinsing instructions to its Opti-Free Express multi-purpose disinfecting solution label.

New York-Many parents of young athletes take steps to prevent immediate sports injuries, but most fail to realize there is a simple way to prevent long-term damage to their child's eyes, according to the results of a national survey.

Salt Lake City-In 1979, Richard L. Anderson, MD, published a paper in the Archives of Ophthalmology describing a tarsal strip procedure he implemented 23 years later. The now widely used tarsal strip turned out to be a key solution as one of the procedures used to treat a 3-month-old baby with blepharo-cheilo-dontic syndrome.

Pediatric refractive surgery is a pro-cedure whose time has come for a small group of children, but should not be considered the panacea for every child's refractive error.

General anesthesia is usually required in pediatric refractive surgery because children cannot cooperate for an extended period of time, explained Evelyn A. Paysse, MD, assistant professor, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston.

Anchorage, AK-Carl E. Rosen, MD, spends much of his free time grappling on the ground, literally. For the Alaska-based ophthalmologist and orbital surgeon, this means practicing a form of martial arts known as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Philadelphia-In an uncertain economic climate, the ophthalmic market can take stock in knowing it is alive and well, according to Kenneth P. Taylor, an independent industry consultant.

There is no shortage of reasons why dispensing eyewear for children has been relegated to "back burner" status compared with the larger adult market. Who has not heard one or more of the following common excuses?

If you want to maximize your dispensary sales, great merchandising is the answer. Patients respond well to dispensary merchandising. It can mean the difference between mediocre eyewear sales and a very profitable bottom line.

San Juan, Puerto Rico-IOP on the day after trabeculectomy or a combined phacoemulsification-trabeculectomy procedure is not predictive of a patient's IOP a year later, said glaucoma specialist Janet B. Serle, MD.

Many physicians wrinkle their noses at the idea of selling products in the office. But what about offering patients educational materials at the time of diagnosis?

Yokohama, Japan-Cataract is a major complication in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) with the characteristic facial eczema, according to Japanese researchers. They advise that patients with this condition be monitored closely and cautioned not to rub their eyes.

As allergy season is approaching, it is important for the physician to understand that ocular allergy is only a component of a broader condition that many times involves the nose and sinuses.

Loteprednol etabonate 0.2% (Alrex, Bausch & Lomb) and azelastine hydrochloride 0.05% (Optivar, Muro) are both valuable options for the management of seasonal and perennial allergic conjunctivitis, said Charles Slonim, MD.

David Rittenhouse (1732-1796), one of America's foremost scientists and patriots, was called upon by George Washington to become the first director of the U.S. Mint. Rittenhouse was well-qualified for this position, having been a clockmaker, surveyor, mathematician, and astronomer.

Editor's Note: When our pediatric ophthalmology fellow arrived in New York on July 6th of last year, she was prepared for terror-children throwing things at her, crying, and just being obstinate.

The acute onset of a red, painful, proptotic eye will almost always cause the emergency room or primary-care physician to elicit an immediate ophthalmic consultation for the possibility of orbital cellulitis or orbital mass. In the absence of systemic infection or sinusitis, however, orbital inflammatory pseudotumor is more likely to be the diagnosis.

A 14-year-old boy presents with new-onset, severe, diffuse headache and blurry vision. He is found to have bilateral "papilledema."

Allergan's brimonidine tartrate (Alphagan) will have new labeling that indicates its 0.5% strength is suitable for pediatric patients over 2 years old.

Are you considering adding pediatric optical dispensing to your practice?

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