Vitreoretinal surgical performance after acute alcohol consumption and hangover.

Aim: Routine alcohol testing of practicing physicians remains controversial since there are no uniform guidelines or legal regulations in the medical field. Our aim was to quantitatively study the acute and next-morning effects of breath alcohol concentration (BAC)-adjusted alcohol intake on overall simulated surgical performance and microtremor among senior vitreoretinal surgeons.

Methods: This prospective cohort study included 11 vitreoretinal surgeons (>10 years practice).

ASSESSMENT OF SIMULATED SURGICAL DEXTERITY AFTER MODIFIABLE EXTERNAL EXPOSURES AMONG NOVICE VERSUS EXPERIENCED VITREORETINAL SURGEONS.

Purpose: To evaluate novice and senior vitreoretinal surgeons after various exposures. Multiple comparisons ranked the importance of these exposures for surgical dexterity based on experience.

Methods: This prospective cohort study included 15 novice and 11 senior vitreoretinal surgeons (<2 and >10 years' practice, respectively).

A Polysomnographic Study of Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Novice and Senior Surgeons during Simulated Vitreoretinal Surgery.

Purpose: To assess the impact of a 3-hour polysomnography (PSG)-recorded night of sleep deprivation on next-morning simulated microsurgical skills among vitreoretinal (VR) surgeons with different levels of surgical experience and associate the sleep parameters obtained by PSG with Eyesi-generated performance.

Design: Self-controlled cohort study.

Participants: Eleven junior VR surgery fellows with < 2 years of surgical experience and 11 senior surgeons with > 10 years of surgical practice.

Weight-adjusted caffeine and β-blocker use in novice versus senior retina surgeons: a self-controlled study of simulated performance.

Background/objectives: Tremor and expertise are potentially influenced variables in vitreoretinal surgery. We investigated whether surgeon experience impacts the association of microsurgical performance with caffeine and β-blockers weight-adjusted intake.

Subjects/methods: Novice and senior surgeons (<2 and >10 practice years, respectively) were recruited in this self-controlled, cross-sectional study.

Recurrence of Ocular Toxoplasmosis after Vitrectomy: Case Report and Review.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to report one case of ocular toxoplasmosis (OT) recurrence after vitrectomy and review the scientific basis about it.

Case Report: A 58-year-old male patient with previous OT, properly treated, underwent vitrectomy due to macular hole. During follow-up, patient evolved with recurrence of the OT.

Real-life outcomes of subthreshold laser therapy for diabetic macular edema.

Background: Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a major cause of visual impairment and its treatment is a public health challenge. Even though anti-angiogenic drugs are the gold-standard treatment, they are not ideal and subthreshold laser (SL) remains a viable and promising therapy in selected cases. The aim of this study was to evaluate its efficacy in a real-life setting.

Comparison of 577-nm Multispot and Standard Single-Spot Photocoagulation for Diabetic Retinopathy.

Objective: To compare two different laser strategies of panretinal photocoagulation for diabetic retinopathy.

Methods: Single-center, randomized study including 41 eyes treated with 577-nm multispot laser with a 20-ms pulse duration (group 1) or a 532-nm single-spot laser with a 100-ms pulse duration (group 2). The outcomes included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and imaging changes at baseline, 6 and 12 months, laser parameters, and results of subjective pain analysis.

Subconjunctival Loa loa worm: first case report in Brazil.

We report the first case of ocular infestation by Loa loa in Brazil. Loiasis is caused by infestation with Loa loa, a filarial parasite originally found in the rainforests of western and central Africa. It is transmitted by the bite of the fly Chrysops and has been recently described in other places other than Africa, in African immigrants or travellers.

Microbial keratitis at a referral center in Brazil.

To describe the epidemiological and laboratory characteristics of microbial keratitis at a referral center in Brazil. Charts of all patients referred to the Ocular Microbiology Laboratory at Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) from July 1975 to September 2007 were retrospectively reviewed. The following data were recorded: age, gender, involved eye, use of ocular medication, previous trauma or surgery, contact lens wear and the results of laboratory cultures.

Microbial keratitis in the elderly: a 32-year review.

Purpose: To describe the demographic characteristics, associated factors and causative agents of infectious keratitis in the elderly in a tertiary referral center in São Paulo, Brazil.

Methods: A retrospective review of all patients aged 60 years and over with a presumptive diagnosis of infectious keratitis who had material collected for microbiological analysis, between the years 1975 and 2007 (32-year span).

Results: From a total of 7,060 age-independent cases of microbial keratitis, 1,545 cases in the elderly were reviewed, which had a mean age of 71.

The use of multiple tools for teaching medical biochemistry.

In this work, we describe the use of several strategies employing the philosophies of active learning and problem-based learning (PBL) that may be used to improve the teaching of metabolic biochemistry to medical and nutritional undergraduate students. The main activities are as follows: 1) a seminar/poster system in a mini-congress format (using topics of applied biochemistry); 2) a true/false applied biochemistry exam (written by peer tutors); 3) a 9-h exam on metabolism (based in real publications); 4) the Advanced Biochemistry course (directed to peer tutors, where students learn how to read and criticize real medical papers); 5) experiments about nutrition and metabolism, using students as volunteers, and about free radicals (real science for students); 6) the BioBio blog (taking advantage of the "web age," this enhances out of class exchanges of information between the professor, students, and peer tutors); 7) student lectures on public health issues and metabolic disorders directed to the community and lay people; and 8) the BioBio quiz show. The main objective of these activities is to provide students with a more practical and interesting approach to biochemistry, such as the application of theoretical knowledge to real situations (diseases, experiments, media information, and scientific discoveries).

Pizza and pasta help students learn metabolism.

In this article, we report on an experiment designed to improve the learning of metabolic biochemistry by nutrition and medical undergraduate students. Twelve students participated in a monitored lunch and had their blood extracted for analysis 1) before lunch, 2) 30 min after lunch, and 3) 3 h after lunch. The subjects were divided in two groups.