Improved screening of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP): development of a target product profile (TPP) for resource-limited settings.

Background: As more preterm infants survive, complications of preterm birth, including retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), become more prevalent. ROP rates and blindness from ROP are higher in low-income and middle-income countries, where exposure to risk factors can be higher and where detection and treatment of ROP are under-resourced or non-existent. Access to low-cost imaging devices would improve remote screening capabilities for ROP.

Universal newborn eye screening: a systematic review of the literature and review of international guidelines.

Background: This systematic review assessed the effectiveness of universal screening for newborn eye abnormalities compared with no screening in improving infant vision and health outcomes.

Methods: We searched CENTRAL (Cochrane Library), MEDLINE, Embase, Global Health, Global Index Medicus, clinical trials databases, and bibliographies of relevant articles. We included randomized and observational studies of all newborns, regardless of illness or risk factors, that compared universal screening for any eye abnormality by eight weeks of age with no universal screening.

Strengthening retinopathy of prematurity screening and treatment services in Nigeria: a case study of activities, challenges and outcomes 2017-2020.

Objectives: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) will become a major cause of blindness in Nigerian children unless screening and treatment services expand. This article aims to describe the collaborative activities undertaken to improve services for ROP between 2017 and 2020 as well as the outcome of these activities in Nigeria.

Design: Descriptive case study.

Integrating eye health training into the primary child healthcare programme in Tanzania: a pre-training and post-training study.

Objectives: To evaluate a primary child eye care training module for use in the WHO/UNICEF Integrated Management of Newborn and Childhood Illness (IMNCI) programme by primary healthcare workers.

Design: Pre-training and post-training study.

Setting: Primary healthcare facilities in a semirural district, central Tanzania.

Epidemiology of ROP update - Africa is the new frontier.

Several epidemics of blindness due to retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) have been described, with the most recent (the third) occurring in middle income countries in Latin America and Eastern Europe initially, and more recently in the more advanced economies in Asia. In these settings, which are characterized by variation in the quality of neonatal care and inadequate coverage of ROP screening and treatment, larger, more mature infants are affected as well as extremely preterm infants. In 2010 the annual incidence of blindness and visual impairment from ROP globally was estimated to be 32,300, with the lowest incidence in sub-Saharan countries.

Integrating primary eye care into global child health policies.

Globally, approximately 75% of blind children live in low-income countries (LICs). Almost half of blindness and low vision in LICs is due to avoidable causes such as corneal scarring from measles infection, vitamin A deficiency disorders, use of harmful traditional eye remedies, ophthalmia neonatorum and cataract.

Time trends over five decades, and recent geographical variation, in rates of childhood squint surgery in England.

Aims: To study trends in rates of childhood squint surgery in England over five decades, and to study recent geographical variation in England.

Methods: Use of routine hospital statistics to analyse trends in squint surgery in the Oxford record linkage study area 1963-2010, and England 1968-2010; analysis of geographical variation in England 1999-2010. All rates, numerators and population denominators were restricted to people aged under 15 years.

Better value eye care for the 21st century: the population approach.

Health services globally and in the UK face challenges from increasing need and rising expectations to inequalities and financial constraints. The UK government has recently published a Public Health Framework for the first time. This has included preventable sight loss as an outcome measure for the nation's public health reflecting increasing recognition of eye health issues in the broader public health agenda.

Geographical variation in certification rates of blindness and sight impairment in England, 2008-2009.

Objectives: To examine and interpret the variation in the incidence of blindness and sight impairment in England by PCT, as reported by the Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI).

Design: Analysis of national certification data.

Setting: All Primary Care Trusts, England.

Pilocarpine induced acute angle closure.

A 34-year-old Caucasian female with advanced primary angle closure glaucoma developed acute angle closure following administration of g.pilocarpine 2% given as preparation for laser peripheral iridotomies. Subsequent investigations supported an underlying diagnosis of spherophakia with no systemic associations.

Randomised trial comparing ocular lubricants and polyacrylamide hydrogel dressings in the prevention of exposure keratopathy in the critically ill.

Purpose: To compare the cost and effectiveness of the two most popular forms of eye care in intensive care, ocular lubricant (Lacrilube) and polyacrylamide hydrogel dressings (Geliperm); for the prevention of exposure keratopathy in the critically ill.

Methods: A prospective randomised contralateral eye study was conducted at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Royal London Hospital, London, UK. Eighty eyes of 40 patients were recruited.

Bilateral macular scars following intrauterine herpes simplex virus type 2 infection.

Neonatal herpetic infection is uncommon, with an estimated incidence of 1 in 3000 to 20,000 births. Ocular involvement most commonly consists of blepharoconjunctivitis or keratitis. We present a further manifestation of congenital herpes simplex virus (HSV) 2 infection.

Changing pattern of visceral leishmaniasis, United Kingdom, 1985-2004.

A 20-year (1985-2004) retrospective review of 39 patients with imported visceral leishmaniasis found that tourism to Mediterranean countries and HIV infection were associated with visceral leishmaniasis. Diagnosis was often delayed. Treatment with liposomal amphotericin B has improved prognosis.