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Shane R Durkin

Publications and source records attributed to Shane R Durkin.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

Successful treatment of a large choroidal abscess in an immunocompetent child. Treatment of a choroidal abscess.

BACKGROUND: We report the case of a systemically well 4-year-old Aboriginal boy who developed a choroidal abscess after being poked in the left eye with a blunt object. CASE REPORT: This boy presented with redness and reduced vision in the left eye after a blunt object was poked into his eye by his sibling. He was noted to have a choroidal mass which finally manifested as a choroidal abscess. RESULTS: His initial visual acuity was 6/60, and dilated fundus examination demonstrated a localised solid-appearing choroidal elevation involving the posterior pole, including the macula. An ultrasound of the eye revealed a choroidal haematoma with an atypical appearance, whose height was 8 mm with a base of 12 mm x 10 mm. The lesion failed to resolve, and eventually resulted in orbital cellulitis that did not respond to intravenous and topical antibiotic treatment. He then went on to achieve complete visual recovery after successful management by transcleral incision, drainage and systemic antibiotic therapy. CONCLUSION: Choroidal abscess has been described in patients who are debilitated, immunocompromised or suffer with systemic disease such as cystic fibrosis or endocarditis. This case represents a unique report of staphylococcal choroidal abscess in a healthy child that completely resolved after transcleral drainage and systemic antibiotics.

Abscess↗
PubMed2006

Recurrent staphylococcal conjunctivitis associated with facial impetigo contagiosa.

PURPOSE: To report the uncommon occurrence of impetigo contagiosa in the setting of recurrent staphylococcal conjunctivitis. DESIGN: Interventional case report. METHODS: A 32-year-old patient had a recurrent painful red left eye and facial rash. Clinical examination revealed left bacterial conjunctivitis and facial bullous impetigo. Microbiology cultures were taken from the nose, conjunctiva, and facial lesions. RESULTS: Microbiologic cultures grew Staphylococcus aureus, and hematology findings demonstrated an elevated white cell count with neutrophilia. Complete resolution was achieved with topical chloramphenicol ointment and oral dicloxacillin. CONCLUSIONS: Although uncommon, bullous impetigo may be associated with recurrent staphylococcal conjunctivitis in adults. Recurrent infections may require nasal decolonization, systemic antibiotics, and antiseptic body wash.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2006

Polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis--An ophthalmic emergency.

BACKGROUND: The occurrence of giant cell arteritis (GCA) in the setting of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is not uncommon. It is imperative to recognise the symptoms and signs of GCA in this setting as the treatment of PMR with low dose corticosteroids will not protect the patient against the blinding consequences of GCA. OBJECTIVE: This article reports the case of a woman with PMR who developed sudden and irreversible vision loss due to GCA. DISCUSSION: It is important to recognise GCA in patients with PMR before the onset of permanent visual disability. A rising erythrocyte sedimentation rate in such patients may herald the onset of GCA. Other risk factors for GCA include age over 50 years, female gender, symptoms of ischaemia, and temporal artery abnormalities on examination. The latter two features warrant urgent ophthalmic or rheumatological review.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Rural origin medical students: how do they cope with the medical school environment?

Australia suffers from a well documented shortage of rural medical practitioners. In an attempt to increase recruitment, it has emerged that rural origin medical students are more than twice as likely as their urban colleagues to become rural practitioners. This has led to a wide range of programs aimed at increasing the number of rural students who apply for and gain entry into medical school. But how do rural students cope with the medical school environment? This paper was based on the results of a survey of senior medical students and looked at how rural students' fare with the medical school environment compared to their urban counterparts. It was concluded that government initiatives currently supporting rural medical students must be continued into the future and continuously evaluated to ensure that rural students have a positive learning experience in preparation for future rural practice.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prevalence of trachoma and diabetes-related eye disease among a cohort of adult Aboriginal patients screened over the period 1999-2004 in remote South Australia.

BACKGROUND: To determine the prevalence of trachoma and diabetes-related eye disease within the adult Aboriginal population screened by the South Australian Eye Health Program between 1999 and 2004 inclusive. METHODS: The South Australian Eye Health Program visited 22 Aboriginal communities in remote South Australia. Visiting ophthalmologists and optometrists systematically collected data on the cohort of adult patients seen over the period 1999-2004. Prevalence and grade of trachoma according to World Health Organization classification and the prevalence and degree of diabetic retinopathy according to the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study and National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines were recorded. RESULTS: A population of 1651 Aboriginal patients was examined. Sixty-two per cent were female and 38% were male. Twenty patients (1.2%) had evidence of active trachoma with 260 (15.7%) patients having either lid scarring, trichiasis or corneal opacity. There was no significant association between gender and the prevalence of trachoma (P = 0.48). Seven hundred and seventy-one patients within the examined population had diabetes mellitus (46.70%). Significantly more women than men were affected and prevalence increased with age (P < 0.0001). One hundred and sixty-nine patients (22%) with diabetes mellitus had features of diabetic retinopathy, and of these patients 77 had background diabetic retinopathy (46%) and 92 (54%) had either proliferative diabetic retinopathy or maculopathy. Prevalence of clinically significant macula oedema among those with maculopathy (14 of 50 patients) was 28%. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that although trachoma is still endemic in this South Australian Aboriginal population the prevalence and severity are less than previously reported. Diabetes mellitus has a high prevalence within this population and great potential for detrimental visual sequelae.

Adolescent↗