[Eye lid hygiene in chronic allergic blepharoconjunctivitis patients before laser refractive surgery]. / Gigiena vek v podgotovke k lazernoi refraktsionnoi khirurgii.

AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of eyelid hygiene in patients with chronic allergic blepharoconjunctivitis (ABC) as a part of their preparation for laser refractive surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study involved 32 patients (12 males and 20 females aged 25-42 years) with refractive errors, namely, compound myopic astigmatism (23 patients) and hyperopic astigmatism (9 patients) suffering from chronic ABC and secondary dry eye syndrome (DES). All the patients initially received a standard treatment for ABC and DES, that is olopatodin hydrochloride instillations - 1 mg/ml 2 times daily, preservative-free hyaluronic acid preparation - 1 mg/ml 3 times daily, and polyacrylic acid and dexpanthenol gel at night for one month. The scheme, however, appeared not effective enough. Hence, the patients were prescribed eyelid hygiene (Blepharolotion or Blepharosalfetka plus Blepharogel-1 2 times daily) to relive meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). They also underwent a conventional ophthalmic examination, allergy tests, evaluation of ABC and DES signs and symptoms, tear film break-up time test, Schirmer's test, meibomian glands evaluation, optical coherence tomography with meniscometry, xerosis index evaluation, and lissamine green staining for lid wiper epitheliopathy. RESULTS: At the beginning of the study signs and symptoms of MGD-associated DES were predominant in all patients. Chronic ABC signs were mild. In 2-3 months, meibomian gland function and tear film break-up time improved significantly in most patients, while xerosis index decreased and lid wiper epitheliopathy resolved. Laser refractive surgery (LASIK) was performed in 81.25% of patients, all of whom were satisfied with the results. CONCLUSION: Inclusion of eyelid hygiene into preoperative management of patients with chronic ABC and DES allows to achieve optimum conditions for laser refractive surgery in most cases.

[Treatment of chronic allergic blepharoconjunctivitis].

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic eyelid hygiene in the treatment of chronic, or perennial, allergic blepharoconjunctivitis (ABC). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 30 patients with chronic ABC (11 men, 19 women aged 25-41 years; disease duration 2-4 years) were examined before and after a treatment course which included instillations of olopatodine hydrochloride instillations (1 mg/ml, 2 times daily) and hyaluronic acid (2 mg/ml, 3-4 times daily). Patients from the main group (18 patients, 36 eyes) additionally practiced therapeutic eyelid hygiene using Blepharoshampoo, Blepharolotion or Blepharosalfetka, and Blepharogel-1 (2 times daily). The control group was given only anti-allergic therapy and tear substitutes. Conventional ophthalmological examination, allergy testing, ABC signs and symptoms evaluation, Schirmer's 1 and Norn's tests, tear film break-up time evaluation, assessment of meibomian gland function, optical coherence tomography (OCT) for tear meniscus, xerosis index evaluation and lissamine green staining for lid wiper epitheliopathy, and anterior segment photography with further computer morphometry were performed in all patients. RESULTS: Dry eye signs and symptoms, including combined lipid, water, and mucus tear deficiency, were found in all patients with chronic ABC. Patients from the main group demonstrated a significantly greater decrease of integral indices of subjective ocular discomfort, reduction of chronic ABC signs as well as more pronounced improvement of the meibomian gland function, appearance of the lid wiper region, tear film break-up time, results of the OCT-meniscometry, and xerosis index. CONCLUSION: Introduction of therapeutic eyelid hygiene to the complex treatment of chronic allergic blepharoconjunctivitis with the aim of resolving secondary dry eye symptoms enhances the effectiveness of the treatment.

[The prevention of HIV infection and other blood-contact diseases among intravenous narcotic users in Nizhniy Novgorod within the framework of the Harm Reduction program]. / Profilaktika VICh-infektsii i drugikh gemokontaktnykh zabolevanii sredi potrebitelei vnutrivennykh narkotikov Nizhnego Novgoroda v ramkakh programmy "Snizhenie vreda".

The results of the development and realization principles of the project on the decrease of harm, envisaging work in three directions (the determination of the technology of using drugs, the exchange of syringes/needles and other accessories, as well as laboratory examination for the presence of antibodies to HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses and consultations of narcologists). 1075 injecting drug users took part in this project. Out of 611 participants filling-in the questionnaires, 338 persons underwent tests for HIV and 3 of them were found to be HIV-infected; out of 305 persons screened for the presence of markers of hepatitis B virus, positive results were obtained in 98 (32% of cases); in 218 (65%) out of 335 persons antibodies to hepatitis C virus were found (49 persons, i.e. 14%, had hepatitis C registered in the medical history and in the rest antibodies were detected for the first time). The preventive program of the decrease of harm was assessed as effective.