EW Weekly, June 21, 2019

- First patient dosed in Phase 2 trial for ST266 to treat persistent corneal epithelial defects
- First subject enrolled in trial for safety, efficacy of TearCare for dry eye
- Topline results announced from Phase 1/2a trial of RBM-007 for wet AMD
- Itchiness from ocular allergy controlled with antihistamine-releasing contact lens
- Don't miss the best rate for the ASCRS ASOA Combined Ophthalmic Symposium
- In a review and meta-analysis of keratoconus natural history, younger patients and those with a Kmax of steeper than 55 D at presentation have a higher risk of keratoconus progression, reported Alex Ferdi, MBBS. The review included prospective or retrospective studies of pediatric or adult patients who reported one or more of visual acuity, refraction, and corneal curvature measures, including steep keratometry, mean keratometry, and maximum keratometry. Among 3,950 searched publication titles, 41 were included in the systematic review, and 23 were incorporated into the meta-analysis. Younger patients and patients with greater Kmax had more Kmax steepening at 12 months. A meta-analysis of Kmax found a significant increase in Kmax of 0.7 D at 12 months (P=0.003). It was predicted that patients would have 1 D greater Kmax steepening for every 5 D of greater baseline Kmax. In patients younger than 17 years and with a steeper than 55 D Kmax, closer follow-up and a lower threshold for crosslinking should be adopted, the researchers concluded. The study appears in Ophthalmology.
- Anesthesia recovery after ophthalmic surgery at an ASC was associated primarily with the procedure and anesthesia type, according to a retrospective case series from Kyle Russell, RN. Researchers reviewed health records of adult patients having ophthalmic procedures at one ASC location from July 1, 2010, to Sept. 30, 2016. Anesthesia recovery duration also was calculated. The median recovery was 36 minutes among the 20,116 procedures. The longest recovery based on anesthesia type was for general anesthesia (79 minutes). The longest recovery based on procedure was observed for orbitotomy and strabismus procedures; cataract surgery had the shortest recovery. Prolonged recovery was associated with the female sex, obstructive sleep apnea, greater disease burden, longer procedures, and intraop fentanyl administration. There were more severe pain episodes in patients with prolonged recovery; this same patient group received more opioid analgesics during recovery. A prolonged recovery was associated with higher rates of emergency department visits and hospitalizations in the first 48 hours postop as well as higher 30-day mortality rates. The study is published in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.
- Ocular pain scores were significantly associated with systemic pain scores in a cross-sectional study, reported R. Yamanishi and fellow researchers. The 41 participants in the study had ocular pain symptoms and had a Dry Eye-Related Quality of Life Score (DEQS), the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ), visual analog scale (VAS), and an ophthalmologic examination, including tear breakup time measurement and Schirmer 1 test. The revised Asia Dry Eye Society Dry Eye Disease diagnostic criteria were used. The mean age of participants was 57.6 years; 31 participants were women. The DEQS was significantly associated with the SF-MPQ score and the VAS. The DEQS also had a significant positive linear correlation with the SF-MPQ total and the VAS. The research is published in Ocular Surface.
This issue of EyeWorld Weekly was edited by Stacy Jablonski and Vanessa Caceres.
EyeWorld Weekly (ISSN 1089-0319), a digital publication of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), is published every Friday, distributed by email, and posted live on Friday.
Medical Editors: Eric Donnenfeld, MD, Chief Medical Editor; Rosa Braga-Mele, MD, Cataract Editor; Clara Chan, MD, Cornea Editor; Nathan Radcliffe, MD, Glaucoma Editor; and Vance Thompson, MD, Refractive Editor
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