What happened in optometry this week: July 8 - July 12
Catch up on what happened in optometry during the week of July 8-July 12.
Catch up with what Optometry Times shared this week:
Bausch + Lomb shares findings from State of Dry Eye survey
By Jordana Joy, Associate Editor
Bausch + Lomb has shared data from its inaugural State of Dry Eye survey, revealing information on patients’ experiences with dry eye symptoms and their knowledge regarding the condition. The survey was conducted online in the US by The Harris Poll on behalf of Bausch + Lomb and included a total of 2003 participants aged 18 years and older, according to a news release.
Study finds potential link between semaglutide and risk of non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy
By Lynda Charters
Boston researchers led by first author Jimena Tatiana Hathaway, MD, MPH, reported that there is a potential risk of the development of non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) associated with prescriptions for semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic, Novo Nordisk). Prescriptions with semaglutide are FDA approved to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes, respectively.
Hathaway is from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the Department of Ophthalmology, and Neuro-Ophthalmology Service Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, all in Boston.
NOA 2024: Myopia management starts with education
By Jordana Joy, Associate Editor
With myopia remaining one of the hottest topics in optometry, educating patients and optometric staff alike on treatment options and slowing progression. According to Ashley Wallace-Tucker, OD, FAAO, FSLS, ABO Dipl, looking to the future of treatment and management can inform what optometric staff can do in the present. “I recommend having the patient come back in six months, just for maybe your check in, and just assess what’s going on there and then have the conversation again,” she said. “Then at the year mark, have the conversation again.”
A closer look at AI utilization with electronic health record systems
By Kiranjeet Sran, OD
Artificial intelligence (AI) is now everywhere—not just in our day-to-day lives but also in the rapidly evolving landscape of health care technology. It is making significant strides in creating efficiencies at home, in the car, in schools, and at our doctor appointments. In the health care space, with the promise of enhancing the efficiency of clinical documentation in our electronic health record (EHR) systems, it can have a significant positive impact not only on the quality of patient care but also on the satisfaction of its doctor users.
What is your diagnosis? Young boy complains of recurrent red eye
By Tracie Lynn Thibault, OD candidate
An 11-year-old boy presented to the Medical University of South Carolina Storm Eye Institute on June 7, 2023, complaining of recurrent pink eye since March 2023. The patient’s mother said she had not put her son back on medication since the previous occurrence. The patient presented with an ice pack on the right eye, with no relief. Prior to this exam, the patient was diagnosed with episcleritis vs scleritis based on the appearance of episcleritis and the pain described as consistent with scleritis. Viral conjunctivitis was ruled out due to lack of other infected family members and patient history, despite his having follicular conjunctivitis. The patient was treated with 250 mg ibuprofen 3 times a day and topical fluorometholone ophthalmic ointment 0.1% (FML; Allergan) 4 times a day. He was advised to return to the clinic if his symptoms worsened or did not improve.
