Ophthalmology
Spotlight: The Community Eye Health Journal
In many low-income settings, where vision loss is greatest, eyecare is hampered by shortages in trained health workers. In sub-Saharan Africa, there are fewer than five ophthalmologists per million population, compared to over 70 per million in high-income countries. Eyecare...
Lessons from an unusual case of syphilis
The rise of syphilis transmission rates over the past two decades has been one of public health’s great puzzles. In the UK, the situation has reached epidemic levels, with a 126% increase between 2013 and 2018 [1]. We present a...
Navigating the retina: the nitty-gritty of slit-lamp fundus examination
The slit-lamp fundus examination can be a difficult and disorientating task for beginners due to the retina being viewed in a non-anatomical orientation, the small area of retina illuminated, and the counterintuitive technique of the examination. This article provides a...
How effective is nurse-led telephone preassessment for cataract surgery?
Cataract surgery is the most frequently performed surgical procedure in the UK [1]. The demand for cataract surgery is projected to increase with ageing population, and the recent pandemic has further contributed to the extended waiting times in the UK....
My top five: Elective grants for an ophthalmology elective for a medical student surviving in a cost-of-living crisis
In a time where cost of living is significantly increasing, and the student NHS bursary is remaining stagnant, funding a medical elective is becoming increasingly more challenging for medical students. Surveys have shown that medical students typically get two to...
Retinal sequelae of high voltage electric current injury
Introduction High-voltage electrical currents may result in significant ocular complications, ranging from mild cataracts to vision-threatening retinal and optic nerve problems [1]. The severity of damage depends on various factors, including intensity and type of current, duration of exposure, entry...
The last three patients: general medicine (Patient Two)
For the second reflection in this series (see Patient One here), Professor Jonathan Rees recounts his experiences of the last patient he saw as a medical registrar, telling the tragic story of a young man’s death and the risks that...
Simulating the visual impairment symptoms of age-related macular degeneration in virtual reality
A new virtual reality application visually simulates age-related macular degeneration and demonstrates its progression over time including some Charles Bonnet syndrome hallucinations. Introduction Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in developed countries with the prevalence of...
Emerging therapies for geographic atrophy: complement inhibitors show potential to slow progression and preserve RPE and photoreceptor integrity
Geographic atrophy (GA) is an advanced form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) characterised by progressive, irreversible loss of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and photoreceptors and is estimated to account for approximately 10% of AMD-related blindness [1-4]. The Age-Related Eye...
Beyond 2020 Episodes 01-03
Introduction Working in remote, Amazonian villages, the Andean Medical Mission (AMM) have made progress into eliminating avoidable blindness in this small corner of the globe and have produced a video series, Beyond 2020, to share what they’ve learned over 12...
Traumatic injuries from foam Nerf bullets
Background Three patients are presented in this case report: an adult and two children which were subjected to ocular injuries from Nerf gun bullets. Generally, Nerf guns are considered safer than airsoft guns. While there are many papers on airsoft...
Getting the Duke Elder examination right: reflections and tips from a medical student
The Duke Elder undergraduate prize examination is an annual exam organised by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists in the United Kingdom. Named after Sir Stewart Duke Elder, a prominent British ophthalmologist, the exam is designed to encourage undergraduate medical students...
