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Biomedical subjects

A Crichton

Publications and source records attributed to A Crichton.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Latanoprost in glaucoma associated with Sturge-Weber syndrome: benefits and side-effects.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to evaluate the ocular hypotensive efficacy, safety, and side effects of latanoprost 0.005% administered as adjunctive therapy in patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) and glaucoma. METHODS: Commercially available latanoprost 0.005% was added as a single drop once daily to other antiglaucoma medications. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured at 1, 3, and 6 months of treatment. A successful response was defined as a reduction of at least 20% in IOP at the final follow-up evaluation without additional medical or surgical therapy and no adverse events related to latanoprost. RESULTS: 18 eyes of 18 patients with SWS and glaucoma were enrolled from 9 clinical centers. Mean baseline IOP was 28.4 +/- 7.1 mmHg (range, 17-42 mmHg). Using Kaplan-Meier analysis, a successful response to latanoprost was observed in 3 of 18 (16.7%) patients at the 6-month interval. Seven (38.9%) patients required surgery; three (16.7%) patients required additional medical therapy, seven (38.9%) patients had no change in therapy. One (5.6%) patient discontinued latanoprost treatment because of intolerable conjunctival hyperemia. Two successfully treated patients had significantly greater episcleral vessel engorgement after initiation of latanoprost therapy. CONCLUSION: Patients with SWS and glaucoma respond poorly to adjunctive latanoprost therapy and often require additional medical or surgical intervention. Increased episcleral vascular engorgement might result in greater operative risks should filtration surgery become necessary in these patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Comparison of the effect of latanoprost 0.005% and timolol 0.5% on the calculated ocular perfusion pressure in patients with normal-tension glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To compare the calculated mean ocular perfusion pressure at the end of 3 weeks' treatment with latanoprost 0.005% once daily or timolol 0.5% twice daily in normal-tension glaucoma patients. METHODS: In a three-center, double-masked, randomized, crossover study, 36 patients were allocated to two treatment groups; one received 3 weeks each of placebo, latanoprost, placebo, and timolol, whereas the other group had placebo, timolol, placebo, and latanoprost. Intraocular pressure and resting systemic blood pressure were measured at 9 AM, 12 noon, and 4 PM. Ocular perfusion pressure was calculated for each time period as well as the mean of three values (daytime average). Systemic blood pressure and heart rate were also recorded at 30-minute intervals during the last 24 hours of each treatment period. RESULTS: The average daytime mean ocular perfusion pressure (mean +/- SEM) following latanoprost treatment was 53.2 +/- 1.4 mm Hg, an increase of 8% from the latanoprost run-in period, compared with 50.9 +/- 1.1 mm Hg following timolol treatment, an increase of 2% from the timolol run-in period (P < .05, ANOVA). Timolol reduced the blood pressure. The difference in mean daytime and nighttime systolic blood pressure measurements as well as nighttime diastolic blood pressure was about 5 mm Hg between the latanoprost and timolol treatments. The daytime and nighttime heart rates were also slower during the timolol treatment. CONCLUSION: Because ocular perfusion pressure may be important in some glaucomatous patients, latanoprost appears to affect ocular perfusion pressure more favorably than timolol does in patients with normal-tension glaucoma.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed1997

Long-term care in Canada.

Problems associated with long-term care in Canada include the growing number of elderly citizens, inconsistencies in social policy and legislative initiatives among provinces, effective quality assurance, and cost containment. Deinstitutionalization and independent living have shifted the focus to community participation.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Lens opacity as a predictor of visual field impairment due to cataract.

The contribution of cataract to the decrease of visual field in patients with glaucoma is difficult to ascertain. To attempt to quantitate the change in visual field due to cataract, we examined 27 eyes of 26 patients before and after cataract extraction. The examination consisted of measurement of best refraction with visual acuity, visual field testing with the pupil dilated, measurement of lens opacity, determination of the intraocular pressure, and evaluation of the character of the cataract before surgery and of the posterior capsule after surgery. The results reaffirmed the detrimental effect that cataract may have on the visual field but also showed that the heterogeneity of cataracts limits the usefulness of the lens opacity meter in quantitating the extent of visual field loss due to cataract.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Unequal intraocular pressure and its relation to asymmetric visual field defects in low-tension glaucoma.

Fifty-nine low-tension glaucoma patients were reviewed with respect to asymmetry of intraocular pressure (IOP) and visual field defects. In the presence of unequal IOP the visual field damage is almost always greater on the side with higher mean IOP. However, only 13 of 47 patients with asymmetric visual field defects had a mean IOP difference between the two eyes of greater than or equal to 1 mmHg. Although in the case of IOP asymmetry visual field damage is greater in the eye with higher mean IOP, other factors must also play an important role in the development of visual field defects in low-tension glaucoma.

Glaucoma↗
PubMed1987

Australian Health Service. 1: A legacy of colonialism.

Over the last ten years arrangements for the provision of health care in Australia have changed frequently even in comparison with the UK. In this article Anne Crichton sketches the background. In the next she will describe the last ten turbulent years.

Australia↗
PubMed1985

Restructuring health services in Canada: challenges for policy makers, planners and managers in the eighties.

Is downsizing the latest jargon word applied to rationalization, a new concept or a different manifestation of a long term trend in health services management? At present, Canada is struggling to implement feasible reductions of expansionary pressures in the health care system. While provincial governments tend to see the issue as one of controlling chronic excess demand, federal government is still concerned to ensure free access to care on an equitable basis. Thus the problems of downsizing can be expressed by the provinces in terms of an ideological struggle with an unfeeling central government which does not understand their problems; although all know they are really about the feasibility of continuing to provide a service to meet demand. The present economic recession enables provincial governments to appeal to their voters for supporting a new way. Earlier, the appeal was to consumers to become involved in health service organization management and this policy succeeded, to a degree, where there were fluorishing grass roots communities; albeit that the service continued to be driven by professionals. Now the appeal is to taxpayers for their strong support in cost cutting. This has been more successful. Provincial governments are now permitted to 'touch the untouchables', that is to downsize the medical profession and previously sacrosanct health care institutions. They also are exploring the feasibility of introducing a two-tier system which would provide basic care for everyone and extra care for those able to pay, thus side-stepping federal conditions. By reorganizing support in this way, provincial governments have extended the range of policy choices, and two types of planning, the rational and the political, have now become combined into strategic management activity.

Canada↗