BJO at a glance
THE BURDEN OF CATARACT IN TIBET
That cataract remains a significant cause of blindness in much of the underdeveloped part of the world is well known. Dunzhu and coworkers, in a study of blindness in Tibet, emphasise the high prevalence of age related cataract blindness among Tibetans. This may perhaps be the result of high altitude ultraviolet light exposure. As elsewhere in the world women have an excess burden of blindness compared to men in Tibet. See p1443
PROPHYLAXIS FOR OPHTHALMIA NEONATORUM
Isenberg and coworkers pioneered the widespread use of 2.5% povidone-iodine ophthalmic solution in an effort to prevent ophthalmia neonatorum. In a 1995 study they demonstrated that povidone-iodine was more effective than erythromycin or silver nitrate for prophylaxis of ophthalmia neonatorum in a large study in Kenya. Moreover, it was less toxic. …
