bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Acupuncture in the management of pain in labor
Authors: Skilnand Else , Fossen Ditlev , Heiberg Eli 
Published: March 2003

Background.  To assess if acupuncture could be a reasonable option for pain relief in labor and to look at possible effects of acupuncture on the progress of labor.Methods.  In a controlled, single blind study, 210 healthy parturients in spontaneous, active labor at term were randomly assigned to receive either real acupuncture or false acupuncture. Visual analog scale assessments were used to evaluate subjective effect on pain. The objective parameter of outcome was the need for analgesic medication in each group.Results.  There were significantly lower mean pain scores and significantly less need for pharmacological analgesia in the study group compared with the control group. The women given real acupuncture spent less time in active labor and needed less augmentation than the control group.Conclusion.  The results indicate that acupuncture reduces the experience of pain in labor. A secondary outcome of acupuncture was a shorter delivery time, which mainly, if not exclusively, can be explained by the reduced need for epidural analgesia. Acupuncture may be useful for parturients who wish a nonpharmacological analgesia without side‐effects. For others it could be the analgesic method of choice, with pharmacological analgesics as supplements.
Effect of pregnancy on trunk range of motion when sitting and standing
Authors: Gilleard Wendy , Crosbie Jack , Smith Richard 
Published: March 2003

Background.  During pregnancy, apposition of body segments and changes in trunk mobility and motion control due to increased mass and dimensions may reduce the functional range of motion of the trunk segments. Although static postures have been investigated, dynamic trunk motion during pregnancy in sitting and standing has had very limited investigation.Methods.  Included in the study was a volunteer sample of convenience of nine primiparous and multiparous women. Twelve nulliparous females formed a control group. The subjects were filmed while performing maximum seated and standing trunk forward flexion, side‐to‐side flexion and seated axial rotation. A repeated measures anova was used to investigate systematic changes in the motion of the pelvic and thoracic segments and the thoracolumbar spines during pregnancy.Results.  As pregnancy progressed, there was no significant decrease in the range of side‐to‐side flexion. For forward flexion and axial rotation, motion of the thoracic segment and the thoracolumbar spine was significantly reduced. Movement of the pelvis was less affected. Base of support width was increased for forward flexion and side‐to‐side flexion.Conclusions.  In late pregnancy, strategies such as increasing the width of the base of support and reducing obstruction from other body parts were used to minimize the effects of increased trunk mass and girths. Not all trunk segment motion was affected equally. The differing effect on individual trunk segment motion may lead to altered movement patterns during functional tasks.
Joel‐Cohen or Pfannenstiel incision at cesarean delivery: does it make a difference?
Authors: Franchi Massimo , Ghezzi Fabio , Raio Luigi , Di Naro Edoardo , Miglierina Massimiliano , Agosti Massimo , Bolis Pierfrancesco 
Published: March 2003

Objective.  To evaluate whether the technique to open the abdomen might influence the operative time and the maternal and neonatal outcome.Methods.  All consecutive women who underwent a cesarean section at a gestational age greater than or equal to 32 weeks were randomly allocated to have either the Joel‐Cohen or the Pfannenstiel incision.Exclusion criteria were two or more previous cesarean sections and previous longitudinal abdominal incision. During the study period 366 patients underwent a cesarean delivery. Of these patients, 56 did not meet the inclusion criteria. The remaining patients were allocated to the Joel‐Cohen (n= 152) group and to the Pfannenstiel (n= 158) group. Extraction time was defined as the time interval from skin incision to the clamping of the umbilical cord.Results.  The total operative time was similar in both groups [Joel‐Cohen 32 min (12–60) vs. Pfannenstiel 33 min (18–70)]. The extraction time was shorter in the Joel‐Cohen group than in the Pfannenstiel group [190 s (60–600) vs. 240 s (50–600), p= 0.05]. This remained statistically significant after adjustment for confounding variables (Hazard = 1.26, p= 0.05). No difference was found between groups in terms of intraoperative and postoperative complications. No difference was found in the neonatal neurodevelopmental assessment at 6 months of age in relation to the abdominal incision performed.Conclusion.  The Joel‐Cohen method of opening the abdomen at cesarean delivery is faster then the Pfannenstiel technique at delivering the fetus. However, considering the absence of benefits to the mother and the fetus there is no clear indication for performing a Joel‐Cohen incision.
Trends in teenage fertility, abortion, and pregnancy rates in Iceland compared with other Nordic countries, 1976–99
Authors: Bender Sóley S. , Geirsson Reynir T. , Kosunen Elise 
Published: March 2003

Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2003; 82: 38–47. © Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2003Background.  Iceland is often considered very similar to the other Nordic countries. The purpose of this study was to explore trends in teenage fertility, abortion, and pregnancy rates in Iceland, compare these trends with corresponding rates in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden during the period 1976–99, and to evaluate similarities and dissimilarities.Methods.  The study is based on data about fertility, abortion, and pregnancy rates obtained from the Icelandic and Nordic national population and abortion registers for the age group 15–19 years years.Results.  Teenage fertility and pregnancy rates in the five Nordic countries declined over the study period by 57–67% and 31–50%, respectively, and in Iceland they remained significantly higher than in the Nordic countries. In 1999 almost every other teenage pregnancy in Iceland (45.9/1000) resulted in a childbirth (24.4/1000). Regional fertility rates were highest in the countryside. While the abortion rate has been declining in the four Nordic countries by 20–41%, they have concurrently been rising in Iceland by 133% (9.4/1000 in 1976–80, 21.9/1000 in 1996–99) and are presently higher than in the other Nordic countries. Regionally, abortion rates in Iceland were highest in the Capital area.Conclusions.  The teenage pregnancy rate is higher in Iceland than in the other Nordic countries. This may be explained by cultural norms in Iceland's society regarding childbearing, early initiation of sexual intercourse, more limited sex education, and less effective delivery and use of contraceptive methods. There is a need to promote sexual and reproductive health to young people in Iceland by combining diverse preventive approaches.
The influence of near‐work on development of myopia among university students. A three‐year longitudinal study among engineering students in Norway
Authors: Kinge Bettina , Midelfart Anna , Jacobsen Geir , Rystad Jarand 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACT.Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of near‐work on development and progression of myopia among adults exposed to high educational demands.Methods: A three‐year longitudinal refraction study was performed among 224 Norwegian engineering students (mean age 20.6 years, 117 females and 107 males) measuring their refraction at the beginning and the end of the period. The examinations included automated and clinical refraction in cycloplegia and a questionnaire regarding time spent on different kinds of near‐work was filled in by the participants. A total of 192 students (100 females and 92 males) completed the study.Results: The mean refractive change of −0.51±0.49 D (n=192) during the three‐year period was statistically significant (p=0.0001). A significant relationship between refractive change towards myopia and time spent on reading scientific literature (p≤0.001) and on practical near‐work (p≤0.05), respectively, was found. Also, a significant relationship between refractive change towards myopia and time spent at lectures was revealed (p≤0.001). No relationship was found between refractive change and time spent at working with video display terminals (VDT) or watching television, respectively.Conclusions: The results indicate that intensive near‐work could initiate myopia or lead to its progression in young adults. The time spent on near‐work seems to play a significant role in that process.
Ophthalmic artery blood flow velocity changes in diabetic patients as a manifestation of macroangiopathy
Authors: Ino‐ue Masanori , Azumi Atsushi , Yamamoto Misao 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACT.Purpose: The hemodynamic characteristics of ophthalmic artery (OA) blood flow velocity in diabetic patients with ocular involvement were evaluated.Methods: Changes in OA blood flow of eyes with background diabetic retinopathy (BDR), proliferative retinopathy (PDR) and ocular ischemic syndrome (OIS) were ananalyzed by Color Doppler imaging.Results: Patients with BDR and PDR had significantly lower diastolic and mean blood flow velocities and higher pulsatility indices compared to controls. Diabetic patients with OIS had significantly lower systolic, diastolic and mean anterograde OA blood flow velocities than the controls. Pulsatility indices were higher in anterograde OA blood flow measurements compared to controls. Systolic blood flow velocities in rubeotic eyes with OIS were significantly lower than in rubeotic eyes with PDR.Conclusion: OA blood flow measurements by color doppler imaging may detect macroangiopathies in diabetic patients as manifested by carotid atheromas and arterio‐ and arterosclerosis of the OA and its branches.
Risk factors for the development of pterygium in Singapore: A hospital‐based case‐control study
Authors: Saw Seang‐Mei , Banerjee Karabee , Tan Donald 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACT.Purpose: A hospital‐based case‐control study, designed to evaluate the risk factors for the development of pterygium in Singapore.Methods: Sixty‐one cases and 125 controls were interviewed at the Singapore National Eye Centre. Information on present and past (5 and 10 years ago) exposure to sunlight on weekdays and weekends, sociodemographic data, behavior lifestyle and family history of eye disease was collected.Results: Patients with pterygia were mostly males, smoked and drank alcohol more often, had lower combined family incomes and were more likely to have a family history of eye disease. The adjusted odds ratios for the development of pterygia were 1.27 (95 percent confidence interval 1.06 to 1.54) and 1.31 (95 percent confidence interval 1.09 to 1.57) for participants who had spent more time in the sun five and ten years ago respectively.Conclusions: Pterygium is an important public health problem in Singapore and its development is related to the amount of sunlight exposure.
Bilateral diffuse uveal melanocytic proliferation and uterine cancer. A case report
Authors: Ritland J. S. , Eide N. , Tausjø J. 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACT.Purpose: To report a case of bilateral diffuse uveal melanocytic proliferation (BDUMP), a rare paraneoplastic syndrome causing visual loss in patients with systemic carcinoma.Results: A 70‐year‐old woman developed visual symptoms 13 months after surgery and local irradiation therapy for uterine cancer. Following bilateral external beam irradiation supplemented with subsequent drainage of subretinal fluid in the left eye, the visual acuity improved from 0.01 to 0.15 in this eye only. The visual acuity remained at this level until she died 4 1/4 years after the onset of eye symptoms.Conclusion: This is the fourth case that survived longer than 24 months after the onset of visual symptoms of the 22 previously reported cases with BDUMP. It demonstrates that radiotherapy may have a vision‐preserving effect in this group of patients. The patient also developed two different paraneoplastic phenomena – a nephrotic syndrome before and BDUMP after treatment for uterine cancer.
Sequential development of bilateral primary choroidal melanoma
Authors: Kiratli Hayyam , Bilgiç Sevg♀l 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACT.Purpose: A case of a woman who had bilateral choroidal melanoma diagnosed sequentially 20 months apart and managed conservatively is described.Methods: The first eye having a juxtapapillary melanoma was treated with a notched episcleral radioactive plaque. The second eye, initially containing a small nevus with unequivocal rapid growth, was managed with diode laser transpupillary thermotherapy.Results: Both tumors regressed considerably following treatment and the patient retained good visual acuity in both eyes. No other malignancies or metastasis were detected during the follow‐up period.Conclusions: A small choroidal nevus rapidly grew after treating a choroidal melanoma in the fellow eye. Close follow‐up of such patients is mandatory. Also, conservative treatment should be opted whenever possible given the unpredictable course of the opposite melanocytic lesion.
Grafting of the posterior cornea. Description of a new technique with 12‐month clinical results
Authors: Ehlers Niels , Ehlers Hanne , Hjortdal Jesper , Møller‐Pedersen Torben 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACT.Purpose: To describe the technique of grafting only the posterior cornea and to report 12‐month clinical results.Method: A two‐layer technique with an anterior recipient flap created by a microkeratome and a posterior penetrating donor graft allows for a watertight wound closure and at the same time a peroperative correction of astigmatism. Four eyes (3 patients) were followed for 12 months.Results: The surgical technique could be completed in all cases without complications. The postoperative course was uneventful. The intrastromal absorbable sutures disappeared spontaneously and completely. Graft thickness showed the expected 6‐month minimum while recipient flap thickness remained constant. After 1 year endothelial cell densities were 1200–2300 cells/mm2. Confocal microscopy showed activated keratocytes in the flap and quiescent keratocytes in the donor tissue by one year. The anterior chamber depth was normal in all cases. The optical quality of the cornea was studied by automatic keratometry and keratoscopy (TMS). The obtained optical properties were not optimal.Conclusions: The developed novel technique gives a better wound closure and a complication free postoperative course. It may allow for better control of postoperative astigmatism. In order to disseminate the use of the technique, eyebanks should supply posterior corneas to the surgeon.
Prevalence of myopia in a sample of Greek students
Authors: Mavracanas Thomas A. , Mandalos Achilleas , Peios Dimitrios , Golias Vasilios , Megalou Katherine , Gregoriadou Anthoula , Delidou Kyriaki , Katsougiannopoulos Basil 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACT.Purpose: An epidemiological study, concerning the prevalence of myopia among the student population (15–18 years old) of Northern Greece, was carried out.Methods: Specific questionnaires were used in order to collect data on the refractive condition of students.Results: Myopia prevalence was 36.8% and was found to be more common in females (46.0%) than in males (29.7%). The prevalence increased in students with myopic parents and myopic siblings. It was also found that myopia correlates strongly with nearwork and school performance.Conclusion: The study results suggest that myopia is a rather common refractive error in Greek students. Findings also indicate that myopia is probably hereditary and correlates with educational level, intelligence and excessive nearwork.
Clinical comparison of the measurement of the IOP with the ocular blood flow tonometer, the Tonopen XL and the Goldmann applanation tonometer
Authors: Bafa M. , Lambrinakis I. , Dayan M. , Birch M. 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACT. Purpose: In addition to measuring ocular blood flow, the ocular blood flow tonometer (OBF) can also be set to solely record intraocular pressure (IOP). In this mode it provides a quick means of tonometry which may allow nursing staff to be more easily trained in its use than conventional Goldmann tonometry. With a view to its eventual use in nurse‐led clinics we undertook a study to compare both the OBF tonometer and our currently favoured nurse practitioners tonometer the tonopen XL with Goldmann tonometry.Method: IOP was measured in 99 eyes with all three tonometers in a random order.Results: There was not any statistically significant difference between the measurements of all three tonometers.Conclusions: It is concluded that OBF tonometer can provide clinically useful measurements of intraocular pressure which may in fact be more accurate than the tonopen, however, our opinion is that it possibly is not suitable for a universal glaucoma clinics application.
Defective visual field tests in chronic heavy smokers
Authors: Hepsen Ibrahim F. , Evereklioglu Cem 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACT. Purpose: To evaluate the visual field changes in smokers.Methods: In 24 healthy, chronic, heavy cigarette smokers and 16 age and sex‐matched healthy non‐smokers, central 30–2 threshold tests were evaluated. The quantitative perimetric indices as objective retinal sensitivity measures were recorded in both eyes, but only those from the second eye were chosen for analysis. The visual field defects were also assessed.Results: All subjects had normal visual acuity. The central visual fields in smokers showed relative to absolute scotomas in 20 ° to 30 °. Quantitative perimetric indices including total threshold dB with red and white target, MD, PSD, and CPSD values were significantly different (p<0.05) between the groups. Smokers showed both diffuse and localised retinal sensitivity decrease. SF showed no significant difference (p>0.05) between the groups.Conclusion: In healthy, chronic, heavy cigarette smokers, retinal sensitivity was found to be decreased although central vision was not affected. This is possibly due to a cumulative effect of chronic smoking onto the retinal and/or optic nerve functions without clinically evident optic neuropathy.
Ocular perfusion and age‐related macular degeneration
Authors: Ciulla Thomas A. , Harris Alon , Martin Bruce J. 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACT. Purpose: To review the role of ocular perfusion in the pathophysiology of age‐related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the industrialized world.Methods: Medline search of the literature published in English or with English abstracts from 1966 to 2000 was performed using various combinations of relevant key words.Results: Vascular defects have been identified in both nonexudative and exudative AMD patients using fluorescein angiographic methods, laser Doppler flowmetry, indocyanine green angiography, and color Doppler imaging.Conclusion: Although these studies lend some support to the vascular pathogenesis of AMD, it is not possible to determine if the choroidal perfusion abnormalities play a causative role in nonexudative AMD, if they are simply an association with another primary alteration, such as a primary RPE defect or a genetic defect at the photoreceptor level, or if they are more strongly associated with one particular form of this heterogeneous disease. Further study is warranted.
The effect on diurnal intraocular pressure of the fixed combination of latanoprost 0.005% and timolol 0.5% in patients with ocular hypertension
Authors: Larsson Lill‐Inger 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACT. Purpose: To measure the effect on intraocular pressure (IOP) after single‐dose administration of the fixed combination of latanoprost 0.005% and timolol 0.5%.Methods: A randomized, double‐masked placebo‐controlled parallel‐group study was carried out. Twenty patients with ocular hypertension received the fixed combination of latanoprost+timolol, while 10 received placebo eyedrops. On baseline day no eyedrops were given, but IOP was measured repeatedly between 8.00 a.m. and 8.00 p.m. On Day 7 the eyedrops were given at 8.00 a.m., and IOP measured as on baseline day. On Day 8 and Day 9, IOP was again measured at 8.00 a.m.Results: There was no difference in IOP in the placebo group. In the latanoprost+timolol group maximal IOP reduction (12.4±2.8 mmHg; mean±standard deviation) occurred 6.4 hours after drug administration (5.2–7.7 hours; 95% confidence interval [CI]). The mean IOP reduction after 24 hours was 9.8 mmHg (7.4–12.2 mmHg; 95% CI; p<0.001), and after 48 hours 5.7 mmHg (3.4–8.1 mmHg; 95% CI; p<0.001).Conclusions: The fixed combination of latanoprost+timolol statistically significantly reduced IOP after single‐dose administration. The maximal effect was noted after about 6 hours, and the IOP reduction was still pronounced after 48 hours.
Association between visual impairment and functional and morphological cerebral abnormalities in full‐term children
Authors: Grönqvist Sonia , Flodmark Olof , Tornqvist Kristina , Edlund Göran , Hellström Ann 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACT.Purpose:To characterise the nature and degree of ocular disorders and cerebral morphological and functional abnormalities in a population‐based group of visually impaired full‐term pre‐school children.Methods:Forty‐five children who were born at full‐term between 1989 and 1995 in Värmland, Sweden, were reported as being visually impaired. An ophthalmological examination was performed and clinical data regarding mental development and neurological disease were obtained for all children. Cerebral imaging was performed in 35 children.Results:Twenty‐six per cent of the children were found to have ocular disorders only. Forty‐two per cent had cerebral morphological abnormalities, verified by cerebral imaging, and 65% had signs of cerebral functional abnormalities. In total, 74% were found to have cerebral morphological and/or cerebral functional abnormalities.Conclusion:The majority of children with visual impairment, including children with ocular disorders, were found to have cerebral morphological and/or cerebral functional abnormalities. We suggest that any child with visual impairment should therefore undergo cerebral imaging and be examined by a paediatrician in order to establish the correct diagnosis.
Refraction in juvenile chronic arthritis: a long‐term follow‐up study, with emphasis on myopia
Authors: Fledelius Hans , Zak Marek , Pedersen Freddy Karup 
Published: March 2003

ABSTRACT. Objective: Assessment of refraction anomalies in juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) on a long‐term follow‐up basis.Material and Methods: Sixty‐five adults, 52 females and 13 males, with a history of active JCA had a complete ophthalmic evaluation including subjective refractioning on average 26.4 years after JCA onset. The age range was 22–49 years.Results: The refraction ranged from −8.12 D to +6.5 D with a mean (SD) of −0.64 (2.16) D. The mean refraction in the JCA group was significantly more towards myopia than that of a coeval adult hospital‐based sample used as controls (p=0.008). Twenty‐eight out of the 65 (43%) had a negative refractive value of at least 0.37 D. Myopia onset age ranged from 8 to 31 years. In those able to specify their myopia onset by first purchase of spectacles (n=25) the JCA onset had preceded the myopia, with a mean (SD) interval of 10.1 (5.4) years.Conclusion: The elevated myopia figure of 43% among JCA patients suggests an association between myopia and JCA. In lack of more precise indicators and in accordance with older literature, an explanation might be a weakening effect of chronic inflammation on scleral connective tissue.