BACKGROUND: Increased intraocular pressure (IOP) has been shown to be one of the most important risk factors for developing glaucoma. Yet it has not been clearly demonstrated that IOP-lowering treatment can reduce the incidence of glaucoma damage in patients with ocular hypertension. The aim of the current paper was to report the results of a long-term study addressing this very problem.METHODS: W

PURPOSE: To evaluate the performance of the new perimetric threshold strategy SITA relative to older methods.METHOD: Thirty-two patients with either glaucoma or ocular hypertension performed two threshold visual field tests with each of three threshold strategies, SITA, Humphrey Full Threshold, and Fastpac. Testing was distributed over three visits, and testing order was balanced between strategie

PURPOSE: To describe and evaluate the new rapid SITA Fast computerized perimetric threshold strategy.METHOD: Computer simulations of visual fields were used to develop a new rapid threshold strategy, SITA Fast. In a clinical evaluation 30 patients were examined twice with each of the Full Threshold, Fastpac and SITA Fast strategies.RESULTS: SITA Fast had significantly shorter test time using on av

PURPOSE: To establish and evaluate inter-subject variability and normal threshold limits for the new SITA strategies and to compare them with those obtained with the traditional Humphrey Full Threshold algorithm.METHODS: Data from 330 eyes of 330 normal subjects were collected at 10 centres in order to establish limits of normality for the new SITA strategies and thus, to make it possible to subje

PURPOSE: To evaluate and compare visual field test results as presented by the Statpac interpretation tools in tests obtained with the new short SITA Standard and the even shorter SITA Fast strategies to the traditional Humphrey Full Threshold strategy.SUBJECTS AND METHODS: One eye of each of 44 glaucoma patients was examined four times with each of the Humphrey SITA Standard, SITA Fast, and Full

OBJECTIVES: To study the influence of test length in automated perimetry follow-up of glaucomatous eyes and, particularly, to determine if it is possible to usefully interpret test results obtained using a testing algorithm shorter than that used for baseline testing.METHODS: Automated perimetry findings were retrospectively evaluated in 31 patients with glaucoma for whom multiple Humphrey 30-2 te

Several earlier studies have shown improvement of glaucomatous visual fields after pressure reduction achieved by acetazolamide or filtering surgery, while other studies have given conflicting results. In the present study laser trabeculoplasty was used to reduce the IOP in 42 eyes with glaucomatous visual field defects. Although good pressure reduction was achieved, no general regression of field

We evaluated flicker comparison, a technique for detecting differences in serial fundus photographs. Serial optic disc photographs and computerized threshold visual fields were obtained every 3 months for an average of 40 months in 131 eyes of 81 patients with elevated intraocular pressure and normal visual fields. Two serial monophotographs were projected, optically aligned, and superimposed; ana

OBJECTIVE: To study prospectively the effects of perimetric learning in glaucoma patients.PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-five patients with newly detected glaucoma underwent repeated perimetric testing using the 30-2 full threshold program with the Humphrey perimeter. Each patient was tested five times at about 1-week intervals. No patient had undergone perimetry before entering the study.RESULTS: I

Reliability of patient performance in static computerized perimetry is important for evaluation of results. False positive answers tend to falsely increase measured threshold sensitivity. The frequency of false positive responses is traditionally measured by adding extra questions, catch trials, to the test. Catch trials are few and limited because of time constraints, leading to inexact estimates

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) show a decline in maximal exercise capacity and muscle strength as renal function decreases. Renal anaemia, skeletal muscle dysfunction, tiredness and increasing inactivity are the major causes of this deterioration. Exercise training improves maximal exercise capacity, muscle strength and endurance in young, middle-aged and elderly patients at all stages

Aim: A Corporate Education Session was held to provide concrete strategies for overcoming several specific barriers in the daily nurse-patient relationship that negatively affect the patient, nurse, or both, and to provide the latest information about best practice as it affects nurses in renal care. Methodology: The session was led by a moderator who presented three video case studies to the audi

AIM: The aim of this study was to describe patients' experiences of suffering from end-stage renal disease (ESRD). RATIONALE: The rationale was to investigate how persons find meaning or make sense of their situation and how they experience suffering. The theoretical basis for the study was to view suffering at three levels. The first level was related to sickness and treatment. The second level w

Aim. To compare the effects of preoperative treatment with recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) and iron with iron only on hemoglobin levels (Hb) in anemic women prior to hysterectomy. Methods. The study was an open-labelled randomized parallel study. Fifteen women scheduled for hysterectomy due to uterine myoma were given oral iron and EPO (NeoRecormon®) 4 weeks prior to surgery (group I) and 1

Chronic cobalt exposure is characterized by severe cardiac insufficiency. Since the mechanisms of cobalt toxicity are not yet clear, we analysed the effects of chronic cobalt exposure on antioxidant enzyme activities and myocardial mitochondrial ATP production rate in a rat model. One group of rats was fed a conventional diet and another a cobalt supplemented diet for 24 weeks. The manganese-super

Muscle function declines with age and progressive uraemia. We examined whether elderly predialysis patients could improve thigh muscle function, walking capacity, and functional mobility to the same extent as elderly healthy subjects when participating in 12 weeks of individual muscle endurance exercises for the thigh as well as in a low-intensive group programme. The uraemic exercise and comparis