Recent trends in vision impairment certifications in England and Wales.

BACKGROUND: The Certificate of Visual Impairment (CVI) provides essential data for preventable sight loss indicators as part of the Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF) published annually by the Department of Health. Trends in CVI certification rates can provide information on the effectiveness of current services and treatments and may be used to guide allocation of resources, and is the only such indicator within ophthalmology. This study aimed to compare recent trends in new vision impairment certifications in 2017/18 against prior baseline data in England and document trends in new certifications in Wales. METHODS: PHOF data from 2010/11 and 2017/18 were examined with respect to preventable sight loss indicators: age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (Indicator E12a), glaucoma (Indicator E12b), diabetic eye disease (Indicator E12c) as well as the total numbers of certifications (Indicator E12d). RESULTS: In 2017/18, the rate of new CVI certifications was 41 per 100,000 population which has reduced from 43/100,000 in 2010/11 in England. Certifications for AMD reduced from 132/100,000 in 2010/11 to 107/100,000 in 2017-18. Certifications for glaucoma have remained stable at 13/100,000 in 2017/8. Certifications for diabetic eye disease have declined from 4/100,000 in 2010/11 to 3/ 100,000 in 2017/18. The number of vision impaired individuals that each Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has to support varies from 8 to 82 per 100,000 population. CONCLUSIONS: There has been a significant decrease in the rate of all CVI certifications particularly from AMD and diabetic retinopathy. However, maintaining this will require changes in the way care is delivered as the elderly population, which is at greatest risk of preventable sight loss, is projected to increase by 50% over the next 20 years. Inherited retinal diseases are now the leading cause of sight loss in the working age population. CVI data demonstrate the need for CCGs to tailor their investment in ophthalmic services to the needs of their specific patient populations. It is important that all ophthalmologists continue to provide accurate CVI data in order to help support the future equitable allocation of adequate resources to reduce avoidable vision loss.

Severe corneal melting after cataract surgery in patients prescribed topical postoperative NSAIDs and dexamethasone/neomycin combination therapy.

Three patients using a postoperative combination of topical ketorolac (Acular) and neomycin/polymyxin B sulfate/dexamethasone (Maxitrol) were diagnosed with atypical keratopathy soon after routine cataract surgery. An immediate retrospective analysis of hospital patients who had used this topical drug combination in the previous year identified 10 other patients who also had significant corneal pathology after uneventful cataract surgery. Five of the 13 affected patients had corneal melting and 1 patient had corneal perforation and endophthalmitis. At the last recorded follow-up appointment, 8 of the 13 patients had a visual acuity of 6/36 or worse. Corneal melting is a rare complication of topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). We propose that the combined use of topical NSAIDs and other agents, such as neomycin and benzalkonium, that further compromise the corneal epithelium, should be used with vigilance and increased awareness of potential keratopathy and permanent visual morbidity.

Unilateral cilioretinal artery occlusion following cannabis use.

There is a growing trend towards the decriminalization of cannabis and this is associated with its increased use over the past decade. Although a variety of adverse effects are attributed to its use, complications involving the eye are rare. We present the case of cilioretinal artery occlusion in a young man with no previous medical history. We discuss the management offered to him and present a review of the literature on this topic. Given the cilioretinal artery occlusion, medical management achieved an excellent result, with his best-corrected visual acuity improving to 6/12. Cilioretinal artery occlusions in healthy young individuals are extremely rare. The only risk factor identified in this patient was the use of cannabis on one occasion prior to his symptoms. There are no other cases in the literature that associate this complication with cannabis use and therefore it serves to raise awareness among the ophthalmic community.

ND:YAG laser for preretinal hemorrhage in diabetic retinopathy.

PURPOSE: To present fundus images of a case with severe preretinal hemorrhage in diabetic retinopathy that was treated with posterior hyaloidotomy with an Nd:YAG laser. OBSERVATIONS: A 35-year-old diabetic patient presented with sudden painless loss of vision due to severe preretinal hemorrhage over the macular area and high risk proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Her visual acuity was counting fingers. Posterior hyaloid face was treated with Nd:YAG laser (posterior hyaloidotomy). Panretinal laser photocoagulation was first performed to control the proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Blood drained inferiorly into the vitreous cavity with clearance of the premacular area. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE: Prompt treatment with Panretinal laser photocoagulation followed by posterior hyaloidotomy with the YAG laser is a viable option in order to avoid further proliferative diabetic retinopathy complications and vision loss. The current image clearly depicts treatment efficacy.

Mapping standard ophthalmic outcome sets to metrics currently reported in eight eye hospitals.

BACKGROUND: To determine alignment of proposed international standard outcomes sets for ophthalmic conditions to metrics currently reported by eye hospitals. METHODS: Mixed methods comparative benchmark study, including eight eye hospitals in Australia, India, Singapore, Sweden, U.K., and U.S. All are major international tertiary care and training centers in ophthalmology. Main outcome measure is consistency of ophthalmic outcomes measures reported. RESULTS: International agreed standard outcomes (ICHOM) sets are available for cataract surgery (10 metrics) and macular degeneration (7 metrics). The eight hospitals reported 22 different metrics for cataract surgery and 2 for macular degeneration, which showed only limited overlap with the proposed ICHOM metrics. None of the hospitals reported patient reported visual functioning or vision-related quality of life outcomes measures (PROMs). Three hospitals (38%) reported rates for uncomplicated cataract surgeries only. There was marked variation in how and at what point postoperatively visual outcomes following cataract, cornea, glaucoma, strabismus and oculoplastics procedures were reported. Seven (87.5%) measured post-operative infections and four (50%) measured 30 day unplanned reoperation rates. CONCLUSIONS: Outcomes reporting for ophthalmic conditions currently widely varies across hospitals internationally and does not include patient-reported outcomes. Reaching consensus on measures and consistency in data collection will allow meaningful comparisons and provide an evidence base enabling improved sharing of "best practices" to improve eye care globally. Implementation of international standards is still a major challenge and practice-based knowledge on measures should be one of the inputs of the international standardization process.

Feasibility of Human Factors Immersive Simulation Training in Ophthalmology: The London Pilot.

IMPORTANCE: Human factors training can enhance teamworking and reduce error. It is used regularly in certain medical disciplines, but its use has not been established for ophthalmology to our knowledge. OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility of providing immersive simulation human factors training for ophthalmic surgical teams. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Prospective scenario-based simulation and concept description at University College London Hospital and Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, England, from December 12, 2013, to March 13, 2014. At both sites, fully immersive simulated operating theater environments were used, comprising live interactive communication with patients and theater staff, full anesthetic and operating facilities, replicated patient notes, active vital signs, and the ability to contact surgical or anesthetic teams outside of the theater via telephone. Participants were consultant (attending) and trainee ophthalmic surgeons and anesthetists, operating department assistants and practitioners, and ophthalmic nursing staff. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The following 4 previously validated rating tools for nontechnical skills were applied to a replicated series of scenarios based on actual patient safety incidents at Moorfields Eye Hospital and in the literature: Observational Teamwork Assessment for Surgery (OTAS), Non-Technical Skills Scale (NOTECHS), Anesthetists' Non-Technical Skills (ANTS), and Non-Technical Skills for Surgeons (NOTSS). The Pearson product moment correlation coefficient was calculated for each pair of scoring tools. Intertool and interassessor reliability was established. Interassessor consistency was compared by calculating a normalized standard deviation of scores for each tool across all assessors. RESULTS: Twenty simulation scenarios, including wrong intraocular lens implantation, wrong eye operation, wrong drug administration, and wrong patient, were provided. The intertool correlations were 0.732 (95% CI, 0.271-0.919; P = .01) for NOTECHS vs ANTS, 0.922 (95% CI, 0.814-0.968; P < .001) for NOTSS vs ANTS, 0.850 (95% CI, 0.475-0.964; P < .001) for OTAS vs ANTS, 0.812 (95% CI, 0.153-0.971; P = .03) for OTAS vs NOTECHS, 0.716 (95% CI, -0.079 to 0.955; P = .07) for OTAS vs NOTSS, and 0.516 (95% CI, -0.020 to 0.822; P = .06) for NOTECHS vs NOTSS. The normalized standard deviations of scores obtained using each tool across all assessors were 0.024 (95% CI, 0.014-0.091) for NOTSS, 0.060 (95% CI, 0.034-0.225) for OTAS, 0.068 (95% CI, 0.041-0.194) for ANTS, and 0.072 (95% CI, 0.043-0.206) for NOTECHS. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This study describes the feasibility of a high-fidelity immersive simulation course specifically for ophthalmic surgical teams. The ANTS and NOTSS had the highest intertool and interrater consistency, respectively. Human factors simulation in ophthalmology offers a new method of teaching team members, with the potential to reduce serious ophthalmic patient safety events. Further work will define its usefulness and practical applications.

Micronutrients and diabetic retinopathy a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: We have evaluated the evidence for the association between intake and blood levels of micronutrients and diabetic retinopathy. Treatment for diabetic retinopathy requires significant clinical input and specialist ophthalmologic care. Micronutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin E, and magnesium, may interfere with pathologic mechanisms of diabetic retinopathy and potentially alter its risk. METHODS: We conducted a search of epidemiologic literature in PubMed and Embase from 1988 to May 2008, using keywords for exposures, including magnesium, ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol and antioxidants, and outcomes, including diabetic retinopathy. Two authors independently extracted data and assessed the quality of the studies using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The overall quality of evidence was graded as I (highest), II, or III (lowest). RESULTS: Of the 766 studies identified, we reviewed 15 studies, comprising 4094 individuals. For vitamin C, hospital-based studies reported an inverse association between plasma levels with retinopathy, whereas population-based studies showed no association between dietary intake and retinopathy. For vitamin E, there was no association with dietary intake or plasma levels and retinopathy. For magnesium, a single prospective analysis showed an association between low levels in plasma and progression of retinopathy, but cross-sectional studies reported inconsistent results. In the assessment of quality, population-based studies had higher ratings than hospital-based studies. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence suggests that dietary intake or plasma levels of vitamins C and E and magnesium do not seem to be associated with diabetic retinopathy. Because of differences in study designs and measurement of micronutrients, incomplete ascertainment of retinopathy, and residual confounding, these findings require confirmation. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): The authors have no proprietary or commercial interest in any of the materials discussed in this article.

Registration of visual impairment due to diabetic retinopathy in a subpopulation of Cambridgeshire.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The UK National Screening Committee (NSC) has set 18 standards for diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening services in England and Wales, the first of which is to reduce new visual impairment (VI) due to DR by 10% within 5 years. This study examined the incidence of VI due to DR in Cambridgeshire (City, South, and Huntingdonshire) in order to establish a baseline rate of VI registration. METHODS: A retrospective review of all certificates of visual impairment (CVI) for 2004 and 2005 was conducted. Hospital records of patients registered due to DR were reviewed to ascertain conformity to NSC Standards. The incidence of VI registration due to DR was calculated. RESULTS: The number of registrations predominantly due to DR was 18; 13 visually impaired and 5 with severe VI. The rates of VI and severe VI predominantly due to DR were 17.1 and 6.5 per million per year, respectively. The VI and severe VI registration rates in the diabetic population were 600 and 230 per million per year, respectively. CONCLUSION: The severe VI registration rate due to DR lies within the national standard. The VI registration rate exceeds 1990-1991 national standards but lies within 1999-2000 national figures.

Clinical characterisation and molecular analysis of Wagner syndrome.

AIM: To detail the clinical findings in a British family with molecularly characterised Wagner syndrome. BACKGROUND: Only in the last year has the specific genetic defect in Wagner syndrome been identified, and the background literature of the molecular genetics is outlined. Clinical and laboratory findings in a second case of Wagner syndrome are included to highlight difficulties that can be encountered when identifying pathogenic mutations for disorders arising in complex genes. METHODS: Mutation screening was performed using PCR and RT-PCR. RESULTS: A heterozygous mutation was found converting the donor splice site of exon 8 of the chondroitin sulphate proteoglycan 2 (CSPG2). This is the same mutation that has been reported in the original Wagner pedigree. The main clinical features of Wagner syndrome are vitreous syneresis, thickening and incomplete separation of the posterior hyaloid membrane, chorioretinal changes accompanied by subnormal electroretinographic responses, an ectopic fovea and early-onset cataract. A clinical feature present in this family, but previously undescribed, is anterior uveitis without formation of synechiae. Wagner syndrome has a progressive course, resulting in loss of vision even in the absence of retinal detachment. CONCLUSION: On a background of considerable confusion regarding the distinction between Wagner syndrome and predominantly ocular Stickler syndrome, it is now apparent the that two conditions are both clinically and genetically distinct. This report summarises the clinical findings in Wagner syndrome and extends the phenotypic characteristics.

Retinopathy of incontinentia pigmenti: a case report with thirteen years follow-up.

A spectrum of retinal features has been recognised in association with incontinentia pigmenti. The majority of reported cases describe a rapidly progressive proliferative retinopathy, often leading to retinal detachment, emphasizing the potentially blinding nature of the disease. In some instances, the retinopathy has been noted to be less severe but follow-up has been short. We describe a young girl with incontinentia pigmenti in whom the retinopathy has shown a fluctuating but stable course over 13 years without treatment.