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Biomedical subjects

David C Musch

Publications and source records attributed to David C Musch.

28 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Confocal microscopy: a report by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

OBJECTIVE: To review the available evidence for the use of confocal microscopy in diagnosing infectious keratitis and for other applications for ophthalmic practice. METHODS: A MEDLINE search of the peer-reviewed literature for the years 1990 to 2001 yielded 94 citations. The search was limited to studies of human subjects published in English with abstracts. The Ophthalmic Technology Assessment Committee Cornea Panel evaluated these 94 articles for possible clinical relevance and selected 51 (54%) for content review by the panel members. Of these 51 articles, 24 were selected for the panel methodologist to review and rate according to the strength of evidence. RESULTS: Of the 24 articles, 21 (87.5%) were classified as case reports or case series and were rated as level III evidence. Three articles were classified as independent, masked, or objective comparisons performed in a narrow spectrum of patients or in a nonconsecutive series of patients and were rated as level II evidence. No studies were rated as level I evidence, defined as an independent masked comparison of an appropriate spectrum of consecutive patients. CONCLUSION: Confocal microscopy is a new technology with clinical applications in ophthalmology. Although confocal microscopy has been used in other fields of medicine, the optical transparency of the cornea and other structures of the eye provides a unique opportunity to apply this technology. The targeted literature review of 24 articles found no level I studies to support the use of confocal microscopy in the management of eye disorders. Three level II studies pertained to promising clinical applications of the confocal microscope and provided evidence that supports the use of confocal microscopy as an adjunctive modality for diagnosing Acanthamoeba keratitis. The remaining 21 articles, rated as level III evidence, focus on the use of confocal microscopy to facilitate the diagnosis of infectious keratitis, including amoebic and fungal, but currently there are no definitive studies of its role in the differential diagnosis of this condition. There are also level III studies that support the use of the confocal microscope in refractive surgery. Facilitating the diagnosis of infectious keratitis and applying the confocal microscope to refractive surgery may hold the greatest promise of this new technology.

Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological↗

Efficacy and efficiency of a small-incision, minimal dissection procedure versus a traditional approach for correcting aponeurotic ptosis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and efficiency of a new small anterior incision, minimal dissection ptosis procedure with that of a traditional anterior aponeurotic approach for the correction of aponeurotic ptosis. DESIGN: Retrospective, comparative, interventional case series. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-two patients with aponeurotic ptosis who had undergone ptosis correction surgery by 1 surgeon: 36 patients (49 ptotic eyelids) who had ptosis correction by a small-incision, minimal dissection procedure and 36 patients (49 ptotic eyelids) who had ptosis correction by a traditional aponeurotic approach. METHODS: Charts and available photographs were reviewed for each patient. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Postoperative upper eyelid height relative to the center of the pupil and relative to the opposite upper eyelid and the postoperative eyelid contour. RESULTS: Successful correction of the eyelid height and the rate of recommended reoperation were not significantly different for the 49 lids corrected in each arm of the study. The incidence of attaining good eyelid contour was significantly better in the small incision group, in which 41 of 42 lids (97.6%) evaluated by photographs had good contour compared with 29 of 37 lids (78.4%) in the traditional group. Operating time per lid was significantly less for the small-incision, minimal dissection group, 25.3+/-13.0 minutes (range, 13-68 minutes) compared with 55.4+/-16.6 minutes (range, 35-119) for the traditional group. CONCLUSIONS: The small-incision, minimal dissection technique for ptosis correction is equally effective in correcting eyelid height, superior in producing desirable eyelid contour, and much quicker to perform than the traditional aponeurotic approach.

Adolescent↗

Overnight corneal reshaping versus soft daily wear: a visual quality of life study (interim results).

PURPOSE: To evaluate patients' perceptions of visual quality of life differences in a crossover study with two different modes of contact lens wear: overnight corneal reshaping (OCR) lenses and daily-wear soft lenses. METHODS: Qualified subjects wore one mode of contact lens for 8 weeks and then completed the National Eye Institute RQL-42 questionnaire. After a washout period, subjects wore the alternate mode for 8 weeks followed by the questionnaire. During soft lens mode, subjects wore lenses during their waking hours. During the overnight corneal reshaping mode, subjects wore lenses only while sleeping. Soft lenses were Biomedics 55 2-week disposable lenses. OCR lenses were Corneal Refractive Therapy (CRT) lenses by Paragon. Subjects were randomly assigned to wear soft contact lenses or OCR lens first. After completing both phases of the study, patients were asked to choose which mode they preferred. RESULTS: Interim results show that of 74 subjects enrolled, 45 have completed both phases; 14 have dropped out of the study; and 15 are still in process. Of the 45 subjects completing both phases, 32 have chosen to continue with the CRT lenses, and 13 have chosen to stay with the soft lenses. Logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution visual acuity was 0.06 (20/20) for soft contact lenses and 0.11 (20/25) for CRT lenses. RQL-42 scoring for overall satisfaction was 81.33 for OCR lenses and 74.67 for soft lenses. CONCLUSIONS: Although overall satisfaction scores and vision were comparable between the two modes, 71% of the subjects elected to stay with CRT lenses. In this study of patients who experienced both modes of lens wear, 71% chose OCR lenses.

Adolescent↗

Efficacy and efficiency of a new involutional ptosis correction procedure compared to a traditional aponeurotic approach.

PURPOSE: This was a retrospective study to compare the efficacy and efficiency of a new small anterior incision, minimal dissection ptosis procedure with that of a traditional anterior aponeurotic approach for the correction of aponeurotic ptosis. METHODS: The results of a chart and photograph review of 36 patients with 49 ptotic eyelids who had ptosis correction by a small-incision, minimal dissection procedure were compared with those of 36 patients with 49 ptotic eyelids who had ptosis correction by a traditional aponeurotic approach. RESULTS: The successful correction of the eyelid height and the rate of recommendation for reoperation were not significantly different for the 49 lids corrected in each arm of the study. The incidence of attaining good eyelid contour was significantly better in the small-incision group, where 41 (97.6%) of 42 lids evaluated by photographs had good contour compared with 29 (78.4%) of 37 lids in the traditional group. Operating time per lid was significantly less for the small-incision, minimal dissection group, 25.3 +/- 13.0 minutes (range, 13 to 68 minutes), compared with 55.4 +/- 16.6 minutes (range, 35 to 119) for the traditional group. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the traditional aponeurotic approach, the new small-incision, minimal dissection technique for ptosis correction is equally efficacious in correcting eyelid height, superior in producing desirable eyelid contour, and much quicker to perform.

Adolescent↗

Assessing the need for posterior sclerotomy at the time of filtering surgery in patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome.

PURPOSE: Posterior sclerotomy has been recommended for prevention of intraoperative choroidal hemorrhages and choroidal effusions in patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) or Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber (KTW) syndrome undergoing glaucoma filtering surgery. In this study, we evaluated this unproven clinical perception. DESIGN: A retrospective, noncomparative, case series. PARTICIPANTS: Seventeen consecutive patients with SWS or KTW syndrome who underwent glaucoma filtering surgery without prophylactic posterior sclerotomy or other prophylactic measures between January 1973 and March 1997 at a university-based practice. INTERVENTION: Glaucoma filtering surgery without prophylactic posterior sclerotomy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence of intraoperative and postoperative choroidal effusion, choroidal detachment, or choroidal hemorrhage. RESULTS: No intraoperative choroidal effusion, choroidal detachment, or choroidal hemorrhage occurred in this series. After surgery, 6 patients had a transient choroidal effusion. Surgical drainage was not required in any of them. No suprachoroidal hemorrhages occurred after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: We did not encounter significant intraoperative suprachoroidal hemorrhage, choroidal effusions, or a combination requiring therapeutic intervention in our series. This finding leads us to question the necessity for prophylactic posterior sclerotomy to prevent the occurrence of these complications in patients with SWS and KTW syndrome undergoing glaucoma filtering surgery.

Choroid Diseases↗

The collaborative initial glaucoma treatment study: baseline visual field and test-retest variability.

PURPOSE: To compare the baseline Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study (CIGTS) visual field (VF) score and mean deviation (MD), investigate test-retest variability, and identify variables associated with VF loss and VF measurement variability. METHODS: Baseline data from a randomized clinical trial of 607 patients with newly diagnosed open-angle glaucoma were collected at 14 clinical centers. The CIGTS VF score and MD were obtained from 24-2 VF tests (Zeiss-Humphrey Systems, Dublin, CA) at two visits approximately 2 weeks apart. RESULTS: Although most baseline CIGTS VF scores showed limited field loss, 15% (91/607) of patients showed a substantial deficit (VF score >10 on a 0-20 scale). A small but significant learning effect was seen over the two baseline measures for CIGTS VF score and MD. CIGTS VF score and MD correlate highly (r = -0.93); both have high test-retest correlation (0.83 and 0.91, respectively). Variables associated with greater baseline VF loss for both CIGTS VF score and MD include (probabilities for VF only): male sex (P = 0.018), black race (P <or= 0.0001), lower visual acuity (P <or= 0.0001), higher intraocular pressure if more than 30 mm Hg (P = 0.0034), poor field reliability score (P <or= 0.0001), cardiovascular disease (P = 0.015), reduced patient-reported alertness (P = 0.023), and CIGTS clinical center (P <or= 0.0001). Predictors of increased CIGTS VF score variability include a midrange VF score (P <or= 0.0001), first-tested eye (P = 0.0027), reduced patient-reported alertness (P = 0.0177), increasing age (P = 0.0040), current smoker (P = 0.0014), and CIGTS clinical center (P = 0.0215). CONCLUSIONS: The CIGTS VF score provides a measure of VF strikingly similar to the MD. Variables associated with VF loss and VF variability may help identify patients who need greater clinical scrutiny.

Adult↗

Personalized follow-up increases return rate at urban eye disease screening clinics for African Americans with diabetes: results of a randomized trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of using personalized follow-up, as compared to reminder letters, in increasing return rates at urban eye disease screening clinics for African Americans with diabetes, and to identify factors predictive of the patient's likelihood of returning for annual follow-up exams. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: All patients attending free community-based retinopathy screening clinics who were advised to return in one year for another diabetes eye evaluation (DEE) were randomized to standard or personalized follow-up interventions. Patients in the standard follow-up group received reminder letters a month before it was time to return for their next annual DEE. Patients in the intensive personalized intervention also received the letters, but those patients who did not call for an appointment within 10 days received a phone call from project staff, encouraging them to return for a DEE. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-two African Americans with diabetes were randomized to one of the 2 treatments. The return rate for the intensive, personalized follow-up group was 66%, significantly (P=.001) higher than the 35% return rate for the standard follow-up group. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the efficacy of personal contact by telephone in improving return rates for annual DEEs in this population of patients. This finding is consistent with one of the key design principles of the project, which was to establish credible personal relationships with community leaders and patients as a means to maximize the utilization of the eye screening clinics.

Adult↗

Conducting community-based, culturally specific, eye disease screening clinics for urban African Americans with diabetes.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the need for, and efficacy of, community-based culturally specific eye disease screening clinics for urban African Americans with diabetes. The study employed a variety of culturally specific methods in the design and performance of 43 community-based eye disease screening clinics in southeastern Michigan. One thousand, thirty-seven subjects were recruited for the study. Of that number, 817 identified themselves as African Americans and are the focus of this report. Of the 817 African-American patients screened, 84 (10%) needed to be examined by an ophthalmologist immediately (< 30 days), and 180 (22%) needed to be examined soon (within 1 to 3 months), while 544 (67%) were advised to return for another exam a year later. The project demonstrated that it was possible to use culturally specific techniques to identify a significant number of urban African Americans with diabetes in need of eye screening and treatment. However, lack of health insurance proved to be the primary barrier to receiving needed treatment. Although the project was successful, it is not a solution to what is essentially a health systems problem, ie, inadequate access to appropriate diabetes care for a significant number of our population.

Black or African American↗

Informal diabetes education: impact on self-management and blood glucose control.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine if participation in screening clinics to detect and treat diabetes-related eye disease also led to informal patient learning that had an impact on self-management behavior and blood glucose control. METHODS: To evaluate the evidence for patient learning over time, the data of patients who returned as advised for 2 subsequent annual diabetes disease screenings were analyzed. Evaluation measures included medication use, self-management behavior, and hemoglobin A1c (A1C). RESULTS: During the 2-year study period, the use of insulin increased by 37% at the first exam, 43% at the second exam, and 42% at the third exam (P = .02). No significant changes were found in the use of oral medication. Glucose self-monitoring also increased by 61% at the first exam, 71% at the second exam, and 76% at the third exam (P < .01). Mean A1C values for returning participants declined by 9.2% at the first exam, 8.9% at the second exam, and 8.6% at the third exam (P = .03). CONCLUSIONS: The screening clinics had an educational impact associated with behavior change (improved self-management and glucose control) even though the clinics were not intended to produce such change. Therefore, caregivers should consider that patient learning can and should be part of every diabetes care encounter.

Black or African American↗