Intraocular pressure spikes after a sequential laser peripheral iridotomy for angle closure.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of intraocular pressure (IOP) spikes within the first 30 minutes after sequential argon-Nd:YAG laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI) in patients with angle closure and to explore risk factors for their occurrence. METHODS: A total of 428 consecutive eyes of 298 patients who had undergone LPI at the Singapore National Eye Centre between June 2011 and August 2011 were reviewed retrospectively. There were 238 primary angle closure suspect eyes, 85 primary angle closure eyes, 92 primary angle closure glaucoma eyes, and 13 acute primary angle closure (APAC) eyes. The pre-LPI IOP and post-LPI IOP, gonioscopic findings, medications, laser parameters, and the need for acute IOP-lowering treatment were recorded. RESULTS: The proportion of patients with a post-LPI IOP elevation ≥8 mm Hg was 10.7% (n=46) and those with a significant IOP spike of ≥30 mm Hg was 31 (7.2%). There were no significant differences between those with or without a post-LPI IOP elevation ≥8 mm Hg and those with or without a post-LPI IOP of ≥30 mm Hg, in terms of age, gender, race, total laser energy used, and seniority of the physician performing the procedure. Patients who experienced IOP spike ≥8 mm Hg were on fewer pre-LPI medications (P=0.009). On logistic regression, patients with APAC had a significantly higher probability of an IOP spike (P=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of postsequential LPI IOP elevation ≥8 mm Hg was 10.7%. The primary diagnosis of APAC was a risk factor, and using preprocedure ocular hypotensives can potentially reduce their occurrence.

Trends in patterns of anterior uveitis in a tertiary institution in singapore.

PURPOSE: To report the trends in etiology of patients with anterior uveitis (AU) in Singapore over 6 years. METHODS: A retrospective review of the clinical records of all new patients who presented with anterior uveitis to the uveitis subspecialty clinic from 2005 to 2010 at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore. RESULTS: There were 552 new cases of AU. This comprised 59.5% of a total of 928 new patients diagnosed with uveitis from 2005 to 2010. The mean age was 48.0 ± 17.2 years. There was a male predominance (62.5%), with a male:female ratio of 1.7:1. The majority were of Chinese ethnicity (69%), followed by Malays (13.2%). Most cases were unilateral (79.5%) and idiopathic (50.4%). Common etiological causes included Fuchs heterochromic iridocyclitis (FHI) (5.6%), ankylosing spondylitis (AS)-related AU (5.1%), herpes simplex virus (HSV) (4.7%), and herpes zoster virus (HZV) (4.5%). There were increasing trends in AS-related AU from 3.2% in 2008 to 6.5% in 2010, and psoriasis-associated AU from 1.7% in 2005 to 4.0% in 2008. There were decreasing trends in the incidence of FHI from 10.6% in 2006 to 4.7% in 2009. No change in incidence of viral etiologies was noted, but cytomegalovirus-related immune-recovery uveitis (IRU) comprised 7.4%. IRU showed an increasing trend from 1.7% in 2005 to 11.9% in 2007, then decreased to 3.3% in 2010. Using the Pearson chi-square test, there was no statistically significant association between ethnicities (Chinese, Malay, Indian) comparing infectious and noninfectious cases (p = 0.788), idiopathic and nonidiopathic cases (p = 0.170), or between the various etiologies of uveitis (p = 0.168). CONCLUSIONS: AU was the predominant form of uveitis seen at our centers. Infectious etiologies (18.5%) are the most common among nonidiopathic cases, with herpes viruses (9.2%) being most prevalent. Despite increased use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the detection of microbial and viral DNA, there was no overall increase in detection of infectious causes for uveitis. The changes in CMV-related immune recovery uveitis from 2005 to 2010 could reflect a change in HIV management in Singapore.

The Lay Public's Understanding and Perception of Dementia in a Developed Asian Nation.

BACKGROUND: Early detection of dementia aims to improve treatment outcomes. However, poor perception and understanding of dementia are significant barriers. We aim to investigate the public's perception of dementia and identify variables associated with the different profiles of public perception. METHODS: A custom-designed questionnaire was used to assess laypersons' knowledge and perception of dementia during a health fair at a public hospital in Singapore, a developed Asian nation. Out of a sample of 370 subjects, 32 declined to participate (response rate = 91.4%). Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify meaningful subgroups of subjects from significant associations with multiple indicators of dementia awareness. Multinomial logistic regression was performed exploring variables associated with each of the subgroups derived from LCA. RESULTS: The majority of the study participants were female (66.9%), 65 years or older (71.1%), and ethnic Chinese (88.1%). LCA classified the study participants into 3 subgroups: Class 1 (good knowledge, good attitude), Class 2 (good knowledge, poor attitude), and Class 3 (poor knowledge, poor attitude), in proportions of 14.28, 63.83, and 21.88%, respectively. Compared to other classes, participants with good knowledge and good attitude towards dementia (Class 1) were more likely to know someone with dementia and understand the effects of the disease, be married, live in private housing, receive higher monthly income, and not profess belief in Buddhism, Taoism, or Hinduism. CONCLUSION: Our results show that the public in Singapore may not be ready for screening initiatives and early dementia diagnosis. Education efforts should be targeted at lower socioeconomic groups, singles, and those of certain oriental religions.