ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the most common reasons for urgent ophthalmology consultations in both the emergency room and inpatient settings at a large public hospital served by a busy ophthalmology residency program, and to track patient follow-up rates. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of all patients evaluated by the ophthalmology consultation service at Kings County Hospital Center from June 2003 to October 2005 using a retrospective hospital-based study design. We categorized emergency room patients and inpatients into traumatic and nontraumatic subgroups, and looked at diagnoses and patient demographics, as well as follow-up patterns for emergency room consultations. RESULTS: In total, 743 patients were evaluated; 436 (59%) were emergency room patients and 307 (41%) were inpatients. Consultation for traumatic eye injury was provided for 399 patients (54%), accounting for 284 (65%) of the emergency room consults and 115 (37.5%) of the inpatient consults. The most common reason for inpatient consultation was to rule out ocular manifestations of systemic disease (57 patients, 29.7%), while the most common final diagnosis for trauma inpatient consultation was orbital wall fracture (59 patients, 51.3%). In total, 262 patients (60%) in the emergency room consultation group returned for follow-up care; 162 (57%) of the trauma patients followed up and 100 (66%) of the nontrauma patients followed up. CONCLUSION: This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the eye conditions and follow-up rates evaluated by the ophthalmology service at Kings County Hospital Center. By evaluating the follow-up patterns of these patients, we may be able to alter patient counseling to increase patient compliance.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the in vitro effects of benzalkonium chloride (BAK) at various concentrations and dosing schedules on adenoviral infection. METHODS: Adenovirus was placed in Refeed media and at 30 min after infection, various concentrations and doses of BAK were placed into the 1 mL solution. All assays were incubated at 37 degrees C. Dosing of BAK was performed for 3 days and qualitative viral immunofluorescence was compared with that of controls. RESULTS: BAK at multiple concentrations lysed the epithelial cell lines to varying degrees as did viral infection. Further, adenoviral infection was halted with many concentrations as well. CONCLUSIONS: Adenoviral infection was inhibited in vitro by different concentrations of BAK. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Zymar solution which contains BAK could potentially have a role in the treatment of adenoviral ocular infection in humans.
Subject(s)
Adenoviridae/drug effects , Benzalkonium Compounds/toxicity , Preservatives, Pharmaceutical/toxicity , Adenoviridae Infections/virology , Benzalkonium Compounds/administration & dosage , Cell Line , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Drug Administration Schedule , Epithelial Cells/virology , Fluorescent Antibody Technique , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Preservatives, Pharmaceutical/administration & dosageABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To quantify retinal thickness in patients with Parkinson disease (PD). METHODS: Forty-five eyes of 24 PD patients and 31 eyes of 17 control subjects underwent a comprehensive ophthalmologic examination. We used optical coherence tomography to examine retinal thickness, separately quantifying the inner and outer retinal layers. Intraocular pressure was measured by Goldmann applanation tonometry. RESULTS: The mean (SD) ages of the patients with PD and healthy subjects were 64.0 (6.5) years vs 63.5 (10.7) years (P = .77). The mean (SD) intraocular pressure was 13.6 (+/-2.7) mm Hg in the PD patients. No difference was found in either the superior or inferior outer retinal layer thickness of PD vs control eyes. The mean (SD) superior inner retinal layer thickness of PD vs control eyes was 88.79 (11.3) microm vs 103.5 (24.3) microm (P = .01), and the mean inferior inner retinal layer thickness was 89.83 (11.1) microm vs 104.0 (23.5) microm (P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: The inner retinal layer is significantly thinner in PD patients than in healthy subjects. Idiopathic PD, distinct from glaucoma, needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis of retinal nerve fiber layer thinning.
Subject(s)
Parkinson Disease/diagnosis , Retina/pathology , Retinal Diseases/diagnosis , Diagnosis, Differential , Fourier Analysis , Glaucoma/diagnosis , Humans , Intraocular Pressure/physiology , Middle Aged , Nerve Fibers/pathology , Retinal Ganglion Cells/pathology , Tomography, Optical Coherence , Tonometry, Ocular , Visual FieldsABSTRACT
The electroretinogram (ERG) was obtained to contrast modulation (CM). This stimulus is a product of temporal modulation of the contrast of a spatial sinusoid at constant mean luminance. Mean contrast (10-40%), and modulation depth (25-1.0) were modulated at 7.5Hz to record the pattern electroretinogram (PERG). The spatial pattern was a foveally fixated grating pattern with sinusoidal luminance profile with spatial frequency of 4.6c/deg. CM resulted in significant first and second harmonic ERG responses. First harmonic amplitude increases then flattens as a function of mean contrast with DeltaC=constant, while the second harmonic response remains unaffected by mean contrast. Apparently the first harmonic represents summed signals of local luminance responses arising from on and off neurons. Mean spatial contrast signals modulate preganglionic local luminance responses.
