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Purpose: To evaluate readability of eye drop labels and accurate recall of prescription instructions in a glaucoma population. Methods: A hospital-based, cross-sectional study. A trained, interviewer examined patient ability to read standard and larger font medication labels. A questionnaire was administered to ascertain accurate recall of prescribed eye drops. Clinical information was obtained through independent chart review. Glaucoma severity was classified according to a glaucoma staging system. The setting for the study was the glaucoma outpatient clinic, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital (Melbourne, Australia), a major tertiary referral centre. A total of 200 glaucoma patients (96.2% response), aged 45–90 years, on eye drops took part in the study. Non-English-speaking patients were excluded. The main outcome measure was the ability to read prescribed medication labels and accurately recall treatment regime was compared with glaucoma severity and the number of eye drops. Results: Of the glaucoma patients, 12% were unable to read standard pharmacy labels. Only 5.5% were unable to read the larger font labels. Of the patients, 32% were not able to accurately recall the type of drops or prescribed frequency of instillation. An inability to read standard labels was associated with a threefold reduction in the likelihood of accurate medication recall (95% confidence intervals, 1.40–7.66, P < 0.05). Patients with three or more types of eye drops were five times less likely to recall their medications (95% confidence interval, 0.07–0.57, P < 0.05). Conclusions: Inability to read or recall prescribed eye drops was associated with glaucoma severity and the number of prescribed eye drops. These factors may impact significantly on patients' adherence to glaucoma medications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of retinal vascular caliber with diabetes and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) in a multiethnic Asian population. Methods: This work was a population-based cross-sectional study comprising 3,404 Singaporean Chinese, Indian, and Malay participants. Retinal arteriolar and venular diameters, CRAE and CRVE, respectively were measured from digital retinal photographs. Diabetes was defined as physician-diagnosis of diabetes, self-reported use of diabetic medication, or fasting plasma glucose (FPG) ≥ 7 mmol/L; IFG as FPG 6.1-6.9 mmol/L. Results: After adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, total cholesterol, triglycerides, smoking, and vascular caliber (Model 3), participants with diabetes had both larger CRAE and CRVE, compared to those with normal fasting glucose (NFG) or IFG. In a multivariate analysis, including clinical risk factors and CRVE, mean CRAE increased from 143.6 µm in NFG to 145.3 µm with diabetes (P for trend = 0.01). On the other hand, each mmol/L increase in FPG was associated with a 0.51-µm increase in CRVE (P=0.006). In a subgroup analysis stratified by ethnicity, the association between FPG and larger CRVE was predominantly present among ethnic Indians (0.9-µm increase in CRVE per mmol/L increase in FPG). Conclusion: Diabetes was associated with larger retinal arteriolar diameters and glucose level was associated with larger retinal venular diameters in this multiethnic Asian population. The magnitude of association between glucose level and venular widening was stronger among ethnic Indians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have consistently shown that autopsy examination after surgery can identify a significant rate of discrepant and/or erroneous diagnoses. Findings gleaned from autopsies can be invaluable for the medical community and science as a whole, ultimately leading to improvements in quality surgical care. Despite the proven benefits of this underused tool, the number of autopsies carried out in Australian hospitals is declining dramatically, with autopsy rates plummeting from 21% in 1992–1993 to 12% in 2002–2003. This notable decline ought to be a genuine source of concern and deserves further examination. This review seeks to address the reasons for decline, while reasserting the value and relevance of autopsies within modern surgical practice Down Under. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented regarding diabetic retinopathy accompanied with an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease in Type 2 diabetic patients.