Diagnostic Accuracy of Online Visual Acuity Testing of Paediatric Patients.

Background/objectives: Remote assessment of children's visual acuity became necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to assess the extent of agreement between hospital-based clinical testing and clinician-led home-based testing.

Subjects/methods: 50 children aged 2-16 (median 8) years attending hospital eye services at two UK hospitals had routine hospital-based acuities compared with subsequent online, orthoptist-supervised home visual acuities.

Current Status of Endoscopic Vacuum Therapy in the Management of Esophageal Perforations and Post-Operative Leaks.

Esophageal wall defects, including perforations and postoperative leaks, are associated with high morbidity and mortality and pose a significant management challenge. In light of the high morbidity of surgical management or revision, in recent years, endoscopic vacuum therapy (EVT) has emerged as a novel alternative treatment strategy. EVT involves transoral endoscopic placement of a polyurethane sponge connected to an externalized nasogastric tube to provide continuous negative pressure with the intention of promoting defect healing, facilitating cavity drainage, and ameliorating sepsis.

Characteristics associated with hospitalization within 30 days of geriatric intermediate care facility admission.

Aim: To identify facility-level characteristics associated with hospitalization within 30 days after admission to a geriatric intermediate care facility (GICF) (30-day hospitalization) in Japan.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study used nationwide long-term care insurance claims data and a national survey of long-term geriatric care facilities. The study population was residents admitted to GICFs between October 2016 and February 2018.

Live teleophthalmology avoids escalation of referrals to secondary care during COVID-19 lockdown.

Clinical Relevance: Following the COVID-19 lockdown, uptake of slitlamp-enabled live teleophthalmology increased. Its use contributed to a reduction of referrals escalated to secondary care during-lockdown (avoided: 64% pre-lockdown vs 86% during-lockdown).

Background: Live teleophthalmology using video conferencing allows real-time, three-way consultation between secondary care, community providers and patients, improving interpretation of slit lamp findings and potentially reducing referrals to secondary care.