Pupillary Pathways

 

Learning and perfecting retinoscopy was one of the hardest things for me to master in optometry school. I struggled to figure out what reflex I was seeing, how to align the cylinder axis, what to do with small pupils and unclear media, and how to deal with the dreaded "scissors" reflex.

After I completed my proficiencies early in school, I thought I could forget about retinoscopy and just use an autorefractor for my patients in clinic. But I was wrong! Retinoscopy is tested during Part 3 of NBEO and aside from that, it is a technique that is actually very helpful in clinical practice; especially when examining children.

If you are also struggling with retinoscopy, the link below is a great way to take it back to the basics so that you can fully understand the concepts and foundation of retinoscopy, and then you'll be better at it when it comes to examining real eyes.

In this simulator, you can change your working distance, try different types of refractive errors, and even have the system come up with a random patient! What a great way to practice!

Did you know? The amniotic membranes used to treat many different ocular surface diseases are harvested under sterile conditions from the placenta of elective cesarean section after full-term pregnancy in medically cleared donors. Be sure to check out our other fact posts!

 

If you see a lot of children at school or on rotation, you are bound to get questions from parents about the potential hazards of their kids using devices such as iPads and iPhones. Previously, pediatricians had recommended no screen time for kids under the age of 2.

New studies have determined that the guidelines can be adjusted as we are inundated with screens in our daily lives. Now, it is recommended that for kids under the age of 18 months, video chatting is fine, but no other screen time should occur. For 2-5 year olds, they now state that it is ok to look at screens for no longer than 1 hour per day.

Children 6 and over can have more, but they also need an hour of exercise. Media should be used with the family together and not before bedtime. This news clip does a great job at summarizing these points. You should be aware of these recommendations so you have an educated answer the next time a parent asks! 

Disneyland

The most famous place in Anaheim is by far Disneyland Park. If you have a free day during your trip to Academy, you should embrace your inner child and spend some quality time at Disneyland! Sail with the pirates, explore exotic jungles, meet your favorite fairy-tale princes and princesses, dive under the ocean, and rocket through the stars!

If you’re feeling extra energetic, purchase the park-hopper pass so you can also explore Disney’s California Adventure Park. Or, if you don’t feel like forking out the cash to buy the expensive tickets, at least visit Downtown Disney District which is a lively promenade featuring distinctive eateries, unique shops, and exciting entertainment! Are you going?

 

Intraoperative abberometry gives surgeons vital data in real time—while the patient is on the operating table—increasing accuracy. This device uses pinhole optics to increase a patient’s depth of focus, improving vision at intermediate and near while still maintaining distance vision. Check out this article and video for more information! 

We continue with our Optometry Infographics series with our latest on the lesions of the visual pathway. Be sure to check out our other fact posts!

 

Patients presenting with unilateral corneal arcus should be referred for which of the following tests? Take our latest optometry quiz.

Be sure to check out our other quizzes!

It has become quite clear over the past few weeks that the opening of unwanted credit cards as a result of identity theft involving thousands of optometrists and optometry students is far but over. Many of those affected have reported that second attempts at opening Chase Amazon credit cards in their names has recently occcurred.

In addition to this, some are also stating that other credit cards such as Amazon store cards through Synchrony bank have also been applied for and in some cases approved. 

The American Academy of Optometry's 95th annual meeting will take place November 9-12, 2016 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA. The Academy's annual meeting offers a wide variety of clinically relevant CE courses and cutting edge research in the clinical and vision sciences, in addition to a first-class exhibit hall and memorable social events.

 

Be sure to also take out past polls!

 

Is That Conjunctival Lesion Cancerous? Easily mistaken for a benign pinguecula or pterygium, conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasm is far more ominous. You can avoid invasive procedures and still ensure effective treatment.