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Poor Vision (poor + vision)
Selected AbstractsA prevalence study of suicide ideation among older adults in Hong Kong SARINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 11 2003Paul S. F. Yip Abstract Objective The objective of this paper is to ascertain estimates of the prevalence, and associated risk factors for, suicidal ideation among community-dwelling older adults in Hong Kong. Method The study was conducted as part of the General Household Survey (GHS), using face to face interviews of ethnic Chinese people aged 60 or above living in the community. Elders living in institutions or elderly homes were excluded from the study. Results Six percent of the sample was found to have ever had suicide ideation. The results showed that poor physical health, including poor vision, hearing problems, and a greater number of diseases; and poor mental health, especially in the form of depression, are predictors of suicidal ideation in the elderly population. Also, statistical analysis by linking individual factors to depression showed that financial and relationship problems are significant risk factors as well. Older adults who engaged in active coping, that is, those who actively seek to manage or control the negative events in their lives, fare better with lower levels of suicidal ideation than those who use passive coping styles. Conclusions The prevalence of suicidal ideation is similar among elders in Hong Kong and western countries. Factors that contribute to risk for suicidal ideation span physical and mental health, social, and psychological domains. Although the association of suicidal ideation to self-destructive acts remains to be determined, these findings indicate a variety of potential foci for late life suicide prevention efforts. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Does the School Nurse-to-Student Ratio Make a Difference?JOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, Issue 1 2004Martha Guttu ABSTRACT: Public schools must provide an appropriate education for students with complex health needs. Chronic illnesses such as asthma and diabetes, social morbidities, injuries, and conditions that limit learning such as poor vision commonly affect school-aged children. School nurses often assume a leadership role in providing services for these children. However, although a national standard for school nurse/student ratio has been proposed, little research has examined the relationship between different school nurse-to-student ratios, level of health services provided in schools, and student outcomes. This study examined data in a 21-county region in eastern North Carolina served by a regional school nurse consultant. The school nurse-to-student ratio in these counties ranged from 1:451 to 1:7,440 based on full-time equivalencies. Two systems offered no school nursing services.*** Data from school years ending in 2000,2002 were considered in the analysis. A significant correlation was found between the increased presence of school nurses and services provided to children with diabetes (r = ,.52, p = .000) and asthma (r = ,.43, p = .002). Schools with better ratios provided more counseling services to children for social conditions such as depression and unintended pregnancy (r = ,.38, p = .006), and more follow-up for school-related injuries (r = ,.43, p = .003), and a higher percentage of children with vision problems received follow-up care (r = ,.37, p = .007). A case analysis of one school district that experienced a significant improvement in nurse/student ratio over the study period provides further evidence that school nurses make a difference. [source] The ChromaGen contact lens system: colour vision test results and subjective responsesOPHTHALMIC AND PHYSIOLOGICAL OPTICS, Issue 3 2001Helen A. Swarbrick Summary The ChromaGen lens system is designed to enhance colour perception in colour vision deficiency (CVD). To investigate its efficacy, 14 CVD subjects were prescribed ChromaGen contact lenses. Colour vision tests (Ishihara, Farnsworth Munsell D-15, Farnsworth Lantern) were administered at baseline, lens dispensing, and after a 2-week lens-wearing trial during which subjective responses were recorded daily using visual analogue scales. ChromaGen lenses significantly reduced Ishihara error rates(p<0.001; ANOVA), particularly for deutan subjects. There was also a significant reduction in errors(p<0.005) on the D-15 test. Conversely, lens wear had no significant effect on Farnsworth Lantern test performance. Subjectively, subjects reported enhanced colour perception, but poor vision in dim light. Judgement of distance and motion were only slightly affected. We conclude that ChromaGen lenses may enhance subjective colour experience and assist in certain colour-related tasks, but are not indicated as an aid for CVD in occupations with colour vision-related restrictions. [source] Prioritization of cataract surgery: Visual analogue scale versus scoring systemANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 7 2005Victoria W. Y. Wong Background: The purpose of the present paper was to evaluate the variability of using a visual analogue scale (VAS) and to assess the feasibility of a priority-setting scoring system for prioritizing elective cataract surgery. Methods: Consecutive cases listed for cataract surgery were prospectively recruited. Ophthalmologists listed patients to undergo early or normal surgery and were asked to rate the urgency of surgery using a VAS. Patients were then reassessed and a cataract surgery prioritization (CSP) score was calculated based on the New Zealand priority criteria for cataract surgery. Correlation coefficients between VAS and CSP scores were calculated to determine the variability among ophthalmologists in using the VAS in prioritizing surgery. Further analyses were performed to assess the potential impact of implementing the CSP system. Results: A total of 326 patients were recruited. There was a positive correlation between VAS and CSP scores (Spearman ,= 0.407, P < 0.001). A high degree of variation among ophthalmologists in the use of VAS was found. Patients with poor binocular vision were not listed as early, whereas patients with poor vision in the eye listed for cataract surgery but good vision in the fellow eye were more likely to be prioritized to have early operation. These findings suggest that patients with severe impairment in binocular visual function were not adequately accounted for during cataract surgery listing. Conclusions: The use of a VAS for prioritizing cataract surgery may be suboptimal due to high subjectivity. Adoption of an objective criteria-validated priority-setting scoring system may allow better stratification of patients to ensure better service provision. [source] 4124: Electrophysiology of childhood retinal dystrophiesACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 2010M BROWN Purpose To provide a systematic approach to the diagnosis of causes of impaired vision in childhood with particular reference to the role of electrophysiology in retinal dystrophies Methods We have examined the contribution Electrodiagnostic Testing (EDT) can make in determining or confirming a diagnosis. Results We have set out a systematic approach to diagnosis of both early and late onset disorders, differentiating between retinal and non-retinal causes. Signs, symptoms, inheritance patterns and test results are tabulated against specific disorders showing the contribution EDT can make. Recent example case studies are also presented. Conclusion Electrodiagnostic testing is of particular value in identifying and differentiating causes of poor vision where there may not be clear retinal signs in the early stages such as Leber's congenital amaurosis, CSNB, cone dystrophy and albinism. A further role is in the differentiation of retinal from post-retinal causes. [source] | ||||||||||