Refractive Development and Prescribing Flashcards
What is amblyogenic refractive error?
Refractive error that may lead to amblyopia
True or False- young children are unreliable px when carrying out subjective
True
True or False- Autorefractors are reliable for children
False - on un-cylopleged children (i.e. children who’s accommodation has not been blocked) autos are very unreliable.
(This is not the case for children who have been given cyclo drops)
What are the three different methods available for ascertaining refractive error using retinoscopy:
Static (or dry)
Mohindra technique
Cycloplegic refraction
What is static (dry) retinoscopy and how is it carried out?
Static = static accommodation i.e. relaxed
This is done by Using a distance fixation target…
Needs to be quick
Can be done awake or asleep
Bell’s phenomenon may be a problem if asleep
May need to use a Children’s trial frame as adult ones are too big
Hold lenses in front of both eyes
ØNeutralise each meridian separately
•50cm working distance may be more appropriate only because you have to hold up the lenses.
ØMake adjustment for working distance
(you are still fogging contralateral eye)
What are the cons of static retinoscopy for paeds?
•Non-cycloplegic static retinoscopy far less reliable in very young paediatric subjects
•
•Tends to result in spherical error more negative i.e. less positive (by up to 4DS)
ØThis can occur into teenage years
When do we do a cycloplegic refraction (i.e. a refraction with cycloplegic drops in the px)?
- Desirable in all new cases
- Essential in:
ØReduced V/VA
ØReduced stereopsis
ØSuspect or manifest strabismus
ØLarge, decompensating SOP – when looking for high plus
ØFH strabismus or high hypermetropia
ØSuspected pseudomyopia
ØAnisometropia ≥1D
ØPoor accommodation
What are the advantages of a cycloplegic refraction?
Advantages:
- Reveals latent hyperopia
- More accurate refraction
- Aids fundus check as pupil is bigger for fundus photos, direct etc,
What are the disadvanatages of a cycloplegic refraction?
Disadvantages:
- Photophobia
- Distress
- Temporary near vision problem ( although is this a problem for children that can’t read?)
- Risk of adverse reaction
True or False- children with down’s syndrome have a decreased liklihood to an adverse reaction to cycloplegics
False
What two quantities of cyclopentolate are used and when?
Cyclopentolate HCL 0.5% - FOR under 6 MONTHS and over 12 years ( so that near reading is not too badly affected)
Cyclopentolate HCL 1% - FOR over 6 MONTHS
There may
How long does cyclopentolate take to come into full action?
10-55 MINs
(normally though around the 40 min mark)
If you aren’t convinced 1% cyclopentolate HCL is giving you adequate cycloplegia what options do you have?
In hospital they may use 1% cyclopentolate HCL with 1% tropicamide. This would be for a very young child with very dark irides.
1% atropine may be used - this would be used if a child whos very young with dark irides has a large manifest strabismus.
How do you instil cyclopnetolate drops in children?
Instillation of Cyclopentolate HCL drops:
•
- Drop onto lashes of closed eye
- Use atomiser (availability limited)
- Some use Proxymetacaine HCL 0.5% first
ØPrevents stinging but child may object to cyclo drop
ØIncreases absorption
How do you carry out mohindra retinoscopy technique?
•Also called near (monocular) retinoscopy
ØOn one eye at a time (occlude one eye)
•
- Carried out in a totally dark room
- Light of ret used as fixation target
ØAssumes eye is in normal resting state
•50cm working distance however instead of subtracting 2DS for your working distance with the mohindra technqiue you only subtract 1.25DS from findings (allowing for 0.75DS accommodation)
What are the benefits of the mohindra technqiue?
It is carried out in total darkness so the light of the ret is the only thing to focus on which is quite useful
What are the cons of the mohindra technique?
Children can be quite afraid of the dark and clingy to their parents and so carrying out this technique realistically can be quite difficult
What age can we start doing subjective ret from?
In general….
- Don’t attempt if child < 5 years?
- Age 5-7 years:
ØSubjective responses variable
ØPlace little reliance upon them
ØRemember to use 1.00Ds blur test
- Age 8+ years rely more on subjective
- Don’t forget children aim to please!
How can we check for accomodation in older children?
- In older children
- Check N5 acuity at 5cm
- Use budgie stick or RAF rule
- Push-up method
- Only thing to bear in mind is that it requires subjective response – which could be unreliable based on child?
If a child px is being uncooperative with an RAF rule how else may you measure accomodation?
Dynamic retinscopy
How do you carry out dynamic retinoscopy?
Target: Near target at subjects working distance. (Near target is either held in patients hand or A scale containing a self-illuminated cube with pictures held as shown in figure 1)
The patient sees the target binocularly
Patients must wear their distance correction
Retinoscope is kept alongside the target and the movement of the reflex is observed
If the movement is against, then the subject is over accommodating. Move the retinoscope towards the kid till you get neutral point while keeping target fixed. The distance between the neutral point and the target will be converted into dioptres.The resultant dioptric value is the magnitude of the lead of the accommodation.
If the movement is with, then the subject is under accommodating. Move the retinoscope away from the kid till you get neutral point while keeping target fixed. the distance between the neutral point and the target will be converted into dioptres. The resultant dioptric value is the magnitude of the lag of the accommodation.
(equally you can pop lenses infront of the eye rather than moving the ret)
In theory, with dynamic ret, what should the practioner see at working distance?
A neutral reflex, however,
ØIn reality, small with movement observed
Ø+0.25 to +1.00DS lag is normal
True or False - refractive error is common amongst young children
True widespread of children 0-12 months are +2DS to -2DS