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Raj Anand

Publications and source records attributed to Raj Anand.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

Modification of screening criteria for retinopathy of prematurity in India and other middle-income countries.

PURPOSE: To determine the gestational age and birth weight of premature babies who developed vision-threatening severe retinopathy of prematurity. DESIGN: Prospective observational study of babies at risk of blindness due to retinopathy of prematurity. METHODS: Data pertaining to all babies who underwent laser treatment or surgery for acute retinopathy of prematurity and those who had cicatricial retinopathy of prematurity were prospectively collected. The gestational age and birth weight were evaluated to establish screening criteria. RESULTS: In 120 babies, the mean gestational age was 29.6 weeks (range 26 to 36 weeks). The birth weight of 115 babies ranged from 710 to 2000 g (mean 1254.5 g, SD 280.8). Birth weight was not available for five babies. Only one baby had a gestational age of >35 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Ocular morbidity related to retinopathy of prematurity was seen in bigger and more mature babies. This study provides a scientific basis for establishing screening criteria for retinopathy of prematurity in South India and other middle-income countries.

Birth Weight↗

Outcome and number of cataract surgeries in India: policy issues for blindness control.

PURPOSE: To assess what impact attention to quality of cataract surgery and postoperative follow up can have on cataract blindness in India, and to estimate the number of surgeries needed to eliminate cataract blindness in India. METHODS: In a population-based sample of 5268 persons in two rural areas in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, data on the visual outcome of cataract surgery were obtained on 129 eyes of 106 persons operated previously. These were compared with the visual outcome of cataract surgery performed during 1999 in 2394 eyes of 2213 persons at two new rural eye centres set up in these areas that pay particular attention to the quality of eye care. Blindness in an eye was defined as presenting distance visual acuity less than 6/60, and in a person as this acuity level in the better eye. These data were extrapolated to India. RESULTS: In the population-based sample, of the 129 operated eyes, 51 (39.5%) were blind after surgery, which included 41 (31.8%) from cataract surgery-related causes. Of the 106 persons in the population sample who had had cataract surgery in one or both eyes, 26 (24.5%) were still blind. In contrast, for the cataract surgery at the two rural eye centres paying attention to quality, 3.1% of the eyes and 1.8% of the persons were blind soon after surgery, but these figures could increase 2.6 times over the lifetime of these persons. The 3.5 million cataract surgeries in India in 2000 are estimated to result in 0.32 million persons having blindness averted over their lifetime. To eliminate cataract blindness in India, an estimated 9 million good-quality cataract surgeries are needed every year during 2001-2005, increasing to over 14 million surgeries needed every year during 2016-2020 on persons most likely to go blind from cataract. CONCLUSIONS: The number of persons in whom blindness is being averted due to cataract surgery in India is currently a very small fraction of the number blind from cataract. If adequate attention is given to the quality of eye care, for the current number of cataract surgeries in India it should be possible to increase by threefold the number in whom blindness can be averted with cataract surgery. In addition to improving quality, the annual number of cataract surgeries has to be at least threefold the current number during 2006-2010 if cataract blindness in India is to be eliminated.

Adult↗

Programme planning and screening strategy in retinopathy of prematurity.

Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is one of the major emerging causes of childhood blindness. A well organised screening strategy and timely intervention can to a large extent prevent blindness due to ROP. This communication proposes a screening strategy and management plan to develop a model for the care of babies with ROP.

Blindness↗

Traumatic pseudophacocele.

Post-traumatic subconjunctival dislocation of an intraocular lens (pseudophacocele) is a rare but serious complication following cataract surgery. All the previously reported cases were managed by removal of the IOL rendering the eye aphakic. We report a case of traumatic pseudophacocele which was successfully managed by an IOL exchange.

Device Removal↗

Reliability of nested polymerase chain reaction in the diagnosis of bacterial endophthalmitis.

PURPOSE: To test the utility of DNA Taq polymerase (Taq) treated with 8-methoxypsoralen with ultraviolet irradiation and Taq treated with restriction endonuclease in a nested polymerase chain reaction test for the diagnosis of bacterial endophthalmitis. METHODS: Prospective, comparative study. Vitreous biopsy fluid from 32 cases of clinically diagnosed bacterial endophthalmitis and 10 noninfective controls were cultured for aerobic/anaerobic bacteria and tested by nested polymerase chain reaction using two sets of universal eubacterial primers in triplicate with untreated Taq, Taq treated with 8-methoxypsoralen with ultraviolet irradiation, and Taq treated with Sau 3A1. RESULTS: Using untreated Taq, false-positive results were obtained in nested polymerase chain reaction with all 10 control samples, which were not seen with the other two methods of nested polymerase chain reaction. However, the sensitivity of nested polymerase chain reaction using Sau 3A1 was the same sensitivity as the conventional culture (34.4%), whereas the sensitivity of the nested polymerase chain reaction using 8-methoxypsoralen was 46.9% higher than in the conventional culture. CONCLUSION: To eliminate the problem of false positives in bacterial nested polymerase chain reaction, we recommend the routine utilization of Taq treated with 8- methoxypsoralen and ultraviolet irradiation.

Bacteria↗