Knowledge of medications among patients with glaucoma in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: To investigate the knowledge and learning ability of glaucoma patients regarding their anti-glaucoma topical medications. METHODS: Patients on regular follow-up at the Glaucoma Clinic at Hsin-Chu General Hospital were recruited. After detailed ocular examinations, the participants were asked to recall and identify their glaucoma eye drops. The same test was repeated 3 months later. The results of both tests, the learning ability of patients regarding their glaucoma drugs, and the relationship between learning ability and demographic variables were evaluated. RESULTS: Two hundred eighty-seven glaucoma patients participated in this study. Of the study population, 25.8% and 57.1% could recall their topical mediation at the first and second tests, whereas 72.1% and 88.5% could identify their prescribed eye drops at the first and second tests, respectively. Approximately 34% of the participants showed improved knowledge at the repeat test, whereas 40% of the participants showed no improvement. Participants with a better learning ability were more likely to be younger, with a higher level of education, and with less visual field impairment. CONCLUSION: The knowledge of glaucoma patients regarding their prescribed medication was deficient in Taiwan. Physician effort could improve knowledge on the prescribed drugs. Patient-centered education should be considered, targeting elderly individuals, illiterate individuals, and those with loss of visual function to increase compliance with glaucoma medication.

[Effect of ditching for drain on control of Oncomelania hupensis snail in beaches of Dongting Lake].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of ditching for drain on the control of the breed of Oncomelania hupensis snails in beaches of Dongting Lake. METHODS: From November, 2009 to November, 2012, an 0. hupensis snail infested beach of the Yueyang jail and an O. hupensis snail infested beach of Junshan District were selected as research fields in the eastern Dongting Lake area, and the former, as the intervention field, was performed with the ditching for drain by excavators and the latter, as the control field, was not. RESULTS: Before the project implemented, the average soil moisture contents on the beaches in dry seasons of the two fields were both about 35.56%. After the project implemented, in the intervention field, the average soil moisture content was 26.53% which was significantly lower than that (35.56%) in the control field (F = 6.53, P < 0.05). The underground water levels in different heights in the intervention field were lower than those in the control field (χ2 = 33.33, P < 0.05). Before the project implemented, the natural death rates of the snails were 0.98% and 0.89% in the two research fields respectively (P > 0.05), and after the project implemented (in 2012), no adult and young snails were found in the interventional field, but in the control field, the average densities of living snails and young snails were 29.37 snails/0.1 m2 and 213 ± 108.45 snails/0.1 m2 respectively. CONCLUSION: The intervention of ditching for drain can decrease the soil moisture contents quickly and change the ecological condition, therefore, can control the breed of O. hupensis snails in the beaches of Dongting Lake.