Global cost of correcting vision impairment from uncorrected refractive error.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the global cost of establishing and operating the educational and refractive care facilities required to provide care to all individuals who currently have vision impairment resulting from uncorrected refractive error (URE). METHODS: The global cost of correcting URE was estimated using data on the population, the prevalence of URE and the number of existing refractive care practitioners in individual countries, the cost of establishing and operating educational programmes for practitioners and the cost of establishing and operating refractive care facilities. The assumptions made ensured that costs were not underestimated and an upper limit to the costs was derived using the most expensive extreme for each assumption. FINDINGS: There were an estimated 158 million cases of distance vision impairment and 544 million cases of near vision impairment caused by URE worldwide in 2007. Approximately 47 000 additional full-time functional clinical refractionists and 18 000 ophthalmic dispensers would be required to provide refractive care services for these individuals. The global cost of educating the additional personnel and of establishing, maintaining and operating the refractive care facilities needed was estimated to be around 20 000 million United States dollars (US$) and the upper-limit cost was US$ 28 000 million. The estimated loss in global gross domestic product due to distance vision impairment caused by URE was US$ 202 000 million annually. CONCLUSION: The cost of establishing and operating the educational and refractive care facilities required to deal with vision impairment resulting from URE was a small proportion of the global loss in productivity associated with that vision impairment.

Potential lost productivity resulting from the global burden of uncorrected refractive error.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the potential global economic productivity loss associated with the existing burden of visual impairment from uncorrected refractive error (URE). METHODS: Conservative assumptions and national population, epidemiological and economic data were used to estimate the purchasing power parity-adjusted gross domestic product (PPP-adjusted GDP) loss for all individuals with impaired vision and blindness, and for individuals with normal sight who provide them with informal care. FINDINGS: An estimated 158.1 million cases of visual impairment resulted from uncorrected or undercorrected refractive error in 2007; of these, 8.7 million were blind. We estimated the global economic productivity loss in international dollars (I$) associated with this burden at I$ 427.7 billion before, and I$ 268.8 billion after, adjustment for country-specific labour force participation and employment rates. With the same adjustment, but assuming no economic productivity for individuals aged > 50 years, we estimated the potential productivity loss at I$ 121.4 billion. CONCLUSION: Even under the most conservative assumptions, the total estimated productivity loss, in $I, associated with visual impairment from URE is approximately a thousand times greater than the global number of cases. The cost of scaling up existing refractive services to meet this burden is unknown, but if each affected individual were to be provided with appropriate eyeglasses for less than I$ 1000, a net economic gain may be attainable.

Echinococcal infection of the spine with neural involvement.

Hydatid disease due to Taenia echinococcus involves bone in about 1% of all cases. The spine is involved in about 50% of cases. Neural compression is common in the form of paraplegia or nerve root compression. The prognosis with spinal involvement is generally regarded as very poor and often likened to that of spinal cancer. Four cases of spinal hydatid with neural involvement are presented. Three were treated by anterior spinal decompression and all four were treated with mebendazole. The results show good neural recovery and it is concluded that the prognosis is not as dismal as it was formerly thought to be.

Unreduced posterior dislocations of the elbow.

Twenty-three patients, aged from 10 to 60 years, underwent open reduction for untreated posterior dislocations of the elbow. The dislocations had been unreduced for periods varying from one month to two years. All patients underwent a standard procedure based on the Speed technique. Complications after operation included one case of gross sepsis and five cases of ulnar neuritis. Most patients gained a useful range of flexion-extension of the elbow. Neither the age of the patient nor the duration of the unreduced dislocation influenced the result.

Cystic tuberculosis of bone in children.

We treated 13 children with histologically confirmed cystic tuberculosis of bone. Ten had solitary cystic lesions and three had the multicystic form. Signs and symptoms were related mainly to the joint adjacent to the cyst. Most lesions were in the metaphyses of long bones. They were radiolucent, round or oval, and resembled pyogenic infections, aneurysmal and simple bone cysts, cartilaginous tumours or osteoid osteoma. Only two of the children had pulmonary tuberculosis. The Mantoux skin test was negative in four children and the ESR was normal in five. Curettage followed by anti-tuberculosis therapy for one year resulted in good healing, but two children had residual joint contractures. Biopsy should be taken from the cystic area rather than from the synovium when a joint is involved.

Nerve compression injuries due to traumatic false aneurysm.

Experience with 17 patients with delayed onset of compression neuropraxia due to hemorrhage following nonoperative treatment of penetrating arterial injuries is presented. Fifteen cases involved the arteries of the neck shoulder girdle and upper extremity and two the gluteal vessels. This resulted in dysfunction of components of the brachial plexus, median ulnar, and sciatic nerves. Follow-up extended from 3 to 18 months. Of 10 brachial plexus lesions two recovered fully, five partially, and three not at all. Of seven peripheral nerve injuries, full recovery occurred in two patients and none in five. Adverse prognostic factors for neurological recovery are sepsis, involvement of intrinsic hand innervation and the sciatic nerve. An improved prognosis may be expected for upper trunk lesions of the brachial plexus and radial nerve lesions. The complication is essentially avoidable and a careful appraisal of the circulatory status must be made in all patients with penetrating trauma in the neck and shoulder girdle and buttock.

Supracondylar fractures: posterolateral type with brachialis muscle penetration and neurovascular injury.

Twenty-seven children with vascular deficit associated with the displaced posterolateral type of supracondylar fracture were explored surgically. Twenty-two children had median nerve signs. Associated clinical findings were bruising, tethering or puckering of the skin in the antecubital region, and a palpable subcutaneous medial spike of the proximal humeral fragment, indicating that the brachialis muscle was penetrated. Manipulation was avoided in such cases. At exploration, the neurovascular bundle was found trapped anterior to the fracture edge in 18 cases, dislocated behind the fracture edge in five cases, and separated by the spike in four cases. Fasciotomy of the antecubital region was performed, and the neurovascular bundle was released from entrapment. The vessel pulsated after release in 21 cases, vascular procedures were done in four, and the vessel ends were ligated in two completely lacerated vessels. Manipulation should be avoided in displaced posterolateral supracondylar fractures with neurovascular deficit when there is clinical evidence that the brachialis muscle belly has been buttonholed.

Treatment of femoral shaft fractures in children by early spica casting.

Eighty-five children with femoral shaft fractures were studied prospectively to determine the benefits of early application of a single-hip spica cast. They were compared with 85 children with similar fractures treated by skin traction for 4 weeks followed by a spica cast for 2 weeks. The study revealed that femoral shaft fractures in children can be treated in a single-hip spica cast with results comparable to those achieved by traction. The additional advantages were substantial savings in cost, early reunion of child with parents and increased availability of beds.

Results of surgical decompression in chronic tuberculous paraplegia.

The results of surgical decompression in 117 patients with chronic tuberculous paraplegia, defined as paraplegia persisting for more than 3 months, were reviewed. After surgery 90 patients were able to walk. Significant findings at surgery were marked extradural fibrosis with very little caseation and pus. The study showed that paraplegia of greater than 6 months' duration was associated with a poor result. There were no cases of reactivation of the disease in the follow-up period ranging from 1 year to 4 years.

Foot deformities and occult spinal abnormalities in children: a review of 16 cases.

A retrospective clinical and radiologic study was made of 16 children with foot deformities and associated occult spinal abnormalities in a 3-year period. Eleven children had bilateral foot deformities; the deformities were unilateral in five. Midline cutaneous lesions of the back were noted in 13 children; the most common dermal sign was a hairy patch. All children had radiologic features of spinal dysraphism on combined computed tomography (CT) scan and myelogram. Spinal dysraphism was not considered in the initial assessment of four children. Children with foot deformity should therefore have a careful assessment of the spine, including a neurologic evaluation.