slit lamp techniques Flashcards
what is tear break up time related to
the wetting properties of the tears and the rate of tear production
what is a normal tear break up time
> 10 seconds
list 4 types of people that TBUT is reduced in
- elderly
- xerophthalmia
- sjogrens syndrome
- CL wearers
what is instilled in the patient’s eye in order to assess TBUT
flourescein, wetted with saline
what must not be used to wet a flourescein paper strip and why
tap water, as this can cause pseudomonas
what must be checked on the saline before using it
its expiry date
which 2 filters on the slit lamp is used to assess the TBUT
- cobalt blue filter (for the flourescein)
- wratten filter (increases contrast)
list the method of observing TBUT
- focus on the cornea and observe the green tear film
- ask the patient to take a blink and then stare straight ahead
- count the number of seconds until you observe dark blue patches appearing on the green tear film
- when you see this, then stop counting
- this is your TBUT
what must you focus the slit lamp beam on when assessing TBUT
the cornea
when do you stop counting when assessing TBUT
when blue patches appear on the green tear film
as this is your TBUT
what is technique for observing the ‘orange peel’ called
specular reflection
what is structure is being observed with specular reflection (orange peel)
anterior surface of the crystalline lens/corneal endothelium
what magnification should be used with specular reflection
high x32-40
what slit beam width should be used with specular reflection
2mm paralellopiped
what is the illumination angle with specular reflection
angle on incidence = angle of reflection i=r
where is the slit beam focussed with sclerotic scatter
on the limbus
how is the light from the slit beam reflected with sclerotic scatter
the light is internally reflected within the cornea and re-emerges around the limbus
a halo of light is produced by total internal reflection
which two ways is the eye viewed, with sclerotic scatter
- can be viewed without the microscope
or - if the microscope is to be used, it must be decoupled from the illumination system
which magnification should be used with sclerotic scatter
low or naked eye
what slit beam width should be used with sclerotic scatter
2mm with parallelepiped
which type of viewing technique is sclerotic scatter
indirect
what is the illumination angle for sclerotic scatter
decoupled system
where should you focus the slit beam with sclerotic scatter
on the cornea
what two pathologies can be picked up with sclerotic scatter
- corneal opacity
- corneal oedema
what does sclerotic scatter check for in the eye
the corneal integrity
what are the three types of illumination used in slit lamp
- direct illumination
- indirect illumination
- retroillumination
how is direct illumination used
the observer looks directly at the structures illuminated by the focussed beam