scholarly journals Rubeola keratitis emergence during a recent measles outbreak in New Zealand

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 289
Author(s):  
Aaron P.C. Ong ◽  
Adam Watson ◽  
Shanu Subbiah

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTIONMeasles is a highly contagious disease caused by the rubeola virus. It can result in ocular complications such as conjunctivitis and keratitis, which will be encountered in general practice. Cases usually resolve without sequelae, but may progress to corneal perforation if left untreated. AIMWe present two cases of rubeola keratitis secondary to measles infection. METHODSThis report is about a retrospective review of data from two patients who presented to the eye department with rubeola keratitis in the midst of the recent measles outbreak in New Zealand. RESULTSBoth patients presented with decreased visual acuity approximately 2 weeks after being diagnosed with measles. One of them was unvaccinated, whereas the other had no documentation of previous vaccination. Both were healthy and immunocompetent individuals. There was no evidence of corneal perforation or retinopathy on examination. Both patients regained their baseline visual acuity after treatment with fluorometholone eye drops. DISCUSSIONDespite the existence of a safe and effective vaccine, there were more than 2000 cases of measles in the recent outbreak in New Zealand. The lack of vaccination is one of the primary causes of rubeola keratitis. These cases highlight the effects of measles infection from an ophthalmology perspective and reinforce the paramount importance of getting vaccinated.

Author(s):  
James Meffan

This chapter discusses the history of multicultural and transnational novels in New Zealand. A novel set in New Zealand will have to deal with questions about cultural access rights on the one hand and cultural coverage on the other. The term ‘transnational novel’ gains its relevance from questions about cultural and national identity, questions that have particularly exercised nations formed from colonial history. The chapter considers novels that demonstrate and respond to perceived deficiencies in wider discourses of cultural and national identity by way of comparison between New Zealand and somewhere else. These include Amelia Batistich's Another Mountain, Another Song (1981), Albert Wendt's Sons for the Return Home (1973) and Black Rainbow (1992), James McNeish's Penelope's Island (1990), Stephanie Johnson's The Heart's Wild Surf (2003), and Lloyd Jones's Mister Pip (2006).


Author(s):  
Lisa Kremer ◽  
David Reith ◽  
Natalie J. Medlicott ◽  
Mary J. Sime ◽  
Liza Edmonds ◽  
...  

Objective This study was aimed to determine mydriatic regimen(s) used in neonatal units in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) and Australia and to estimate the frequency of adverse drug events following mydriatic administration in preterm neonates. Study Design A cross-sectional survey was sent to neonatal nursing staff listed in the Australian and New Zealand Neonatal Network contact list. Participants were asked to state what mydriatic regimen they use, and to estimate the frequency of adverse drug events when eye drops were administered for retinopathy of prematurity eye examinations (ROPEE). Results Thirteen different mydriatic regimens were identified; phenylephrine 2.5% and cyclopentolate 0.5% (1 standard drop of each) was the most commonly used regimen. Two of the regimens exceeded adult doses and five regimens included a mydriatic that is equivalent to an adult dose. Following mydriatic instillation, the three most common adverse effects were apnea, tachycardia, and periorbital pallor. Conclusion Low-concentration single-microdrop regimens are currently in use and resulting in successful ROPEE, yet doses exceeding adult doses are in use throughout Aotearoa NZ and Australian units. We know from this dataset that neonates are experiencing unwanted and potentially preventable, adverse effects associated with mydriatics, and every effort should be made to minimize this risk. Key Points


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sung Uk Baek ◽  
Min Seon Park ◽  
Bum-Joo Cho ◽  
In Won Park ◽  
Soonil Kwon

AbstractUncontrolled diabetes has been associated with progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in several studies. Therefore, we aimed to investigate systemic and ophthalmic factors related to worsening of DR even after completion of panretinal photocoagulation (PRP). We retrospectively reviewed DR patients who had completed PRP in at least one eye with a 3-year follow-up. A total of 243 eyes of 243 subjects (mean age 52.6 ± 11.6 years) were enrolled. Among them, 52 patients (21.4%) showed progression of DR after PRP (progression group), and the other 191 (78.6%) patients had stable DR (non-progression group). The progression group had higher proportion of proliferative DR (P = 0.019); lower baseline visual acuity (P < 0.001); and higher platelet count (P = 0.048), hemoglobin (P = 0.044), and hematocrit, (P = 0.042) than the non-progression group. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis for progression of DR, baseline visual acuity (HR: 0.053, P < 0.001) and platelet count (HR: 1.215, P = 0.031) were identified as risk factors for progression. Consequently, we propose that patients with low visual acuity or high platelet count are more likely to have progressive DR despite PRP and require careful observation. Also, the evaluation of hemorheological factors including platelet counts before PRP can be considered useful in predicting the prognosis of DR.


2005 ◽  
Vol 134 (2) ◽  
pp. 377-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. H. DYET ◽  
D. R. MARTIN

An epidemic of meningococcal disease caused by serogroup B meningococci expressing the P1.7-2,4 PorA protein began in New Zealand in 1991. The PorA type has remained stable. Different porB have been found in association with the P1.7-2,4 PorA, although type 4 has been most common. The clonal origins of B:P1.7-2,4 meningococci isolated from cases during 1990 to the end of 2003 were analysed. In 1990, the year immediately preceding the recognized increase in disease rates, all three subclones (ST-41, ST-42, and ST-154) of the ST-41/44 clonal complex occurred among the five isolates of B:P1.7-2,4. The two sequence types, ST-42 and ST-154, continued to cause most disease throughout New Zealand. Isolates belonging to subclone ST-41 were mostly identified early in the epidemic and in the South Island. 16S rRNA typing indicated that isolates belonging to the subclones ST-41 and ST-154 share a common ancestor, with those typing as ST-42 more distantly related with some genetically ambiguous. It is possible that ST-41 and ST-154 may have evolved one from the other but evolution to ST-42 is more difficult to explain. It is possible that one or more of the ST types could have been introduced into New Zealand prior to the first detection of clinical cases in 1990. Genetic diversity may have occurred during carriage in the community.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Rummel

The previously ignored model of Greek colonisation attracted numerous actors from the 19th century British empire: historians, politicians, administrators, military personnel, journalists or anonymous commentators used the ancient paradigm to advocate a global federation exclusively encompassing Great Britain and the settler colonies in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Unlike other historical templates, Greek colonisation could be viewed as innovative and unspent: innovative because of the possibility of combining empire and liberty and unspent due to its very novelty, which did not contain the ‘imperial vice’ the other models had so often shown and which had always led to their political and cultural decline.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 154-159
Author(s):  
Suzan Amana Rattan ◽  
◽  
Mahir Kadhim Mutashar ◽  

AIM: To evaluate the effectivity of the combination of intracameral moxifloxacin 0.1% with subconjunctival triamcinolone acetonide 4 mg as prophylaxis of infection and inflammation after phacoemulsification in comparison with topical medication treated group. METHODS: A total one thousand patients with age range from 38 to 70 years old who scheduled for phacoemulsification were divided into 2 groups of no statistically significant differences in age, preoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) and central macular thickness (CMT), P=0.6, 0.9 and 0.8 respectively. The surgeries were done by 2 surgeons each one planned to use one method of prophylaxis at Eye Speciality Private hospital, Baghdad, Iraq. For the 1st group of patients (500) a topical moxifloxacin hydrochloride 0.5% and dexamethasone 0.1% eye drops were prescribed four times a day for 1mo postoperatively. For the 2nd group intracameral (IC) diluted moxifloxacin at 0.1% with subconjunctival (SC) triamcinolone 4mg in 0.4 cc were administered at the conclusion of the surgery. Follow up visits were on the first postoperative day, 1wk, 1mo, and 3mo postoperatively. Anterior chamber (AC) reaction was examined during the 4 visits while IOP was measured during the last 3 and CMT was measured only in the last one. RESULTS: The current clinical trial study compared 2 samples with 2 different prophylaxis methods. No endophthalmitis case reported in both group. By a 2-Sample t-test, the IC-treated group (group 2) had statistically significant lower AC cells at the 1st day postoperative visit than the other group while there were no statistically significant differences at 1wk, 1 mo and 3mo visits between the 2 groups. There was no statistically significant difference at 3mo visits in IOP and CMT between the two groups. A breakthrough inflammation rate with the topical medication was (9.6%) while in the other group (IC treated ) was 4.0%. A significant IOP elevation ≥10 mm Hg at 1mo in 2.4% within the topical medication group which was higher than the rate in the other group (0.8%). CONCLUSION: In addition to the safety and effectivity of the combination of intracameral moxifloxacin and subconjunctival triamcinolone in preventing infection and inflammation after cataract surgery. The majority (480) of our included patients didn’t require any topical postoperative medication that is cost saving for the patient, helped patients who were unable to administer topical medication, and decreased chance of complication related to patient poor adherence to postoperative medication.


2021 ◽  
pp. bjophthalmol-2020-317547
Author(s):  
Alex Ferdi ◽  
Vuong Nguyen ◽  
Himal Kandel ◽  
Jeremy C K Tan ◽  
Francisco Arnalich-Montiel ◽  
...  

AimsWe set out to identify risk factors for progression in untreated keratoconus patients from 34 centres across Australia, New Zealand, Spain and Italy.MethodsPatients were divided into ‘progressors’ and ‘stable’ patients for each clinical parameter: visual acuity (VA), steepest keratometry (maximum keratometry (Max-K)) and thinnest corneal thickness (TCT). Primary outcomes were the proportion of eyes with sustained progression in VA, Max-K or TCT within 3 years. Secondary outcomes included predictors of progression.ResultsThere were 3994 untreated eyes from 2283 patients. The proportion of eyes with VA, Max-K and TCT progression at 1 year were 3.2%, 6.6% and 3.1% respectively. Factors associated with VA loss were higher baseline VA (HR 1.15 per logMAR line increase in VA; p<0.001) and steeper baseline Max-K (HR 1.07 per 1D increase; p<0.001). Younger baseline age was associated with Max-K steepening (HR 0.96 per year older; p=0.001). Thicker baseline TCT, steeper baseline Max-K and younger baseline age were associated with TCT thinning: (HR 1.08 per 10 µm increase in TCT; p<0.001), (HR 1.03 per 1D increase; p=0.02) and (HR 0.98 per year younger; p=0.01), respectively.ConclusionsSteeper Max-K and younger age were the most clinically useful baseline predictors of progression as they were associated with worsening of two clinical parameters. Every 1D steeper Max-K was associated with a 7% and 3% greater risk of worsening VA and thinning TCT, respectively. Each 1 year younger was associated with a 4% and 2% greater risk of steepening Max-K and thinning TCT, respectively.


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