Professional Documents
Culture Documents
References 531
Index 561
S
Robert C. Capone, OD, FAAO
Adjunct Clinical Faculty
R
New England College o Optometry
Boston, Massachusetts
Sta Optometrist
East Boston Neighborhood Health Center
O
East Boston, Massachusetts
T
New England College o Optometry
Boston, Massachusetts
Sta Optometrist
U
East Boston Neighborhood Health Center
East Boston, Massachusetts
B
New England College o Optometry
Boston, Massachusetts
I
R
T
N
O
C
This page intentionally left blank
E
It has been 25 years since the publication o the rst edi-
C
tion o Clinical Procedures for Ocular Examination and
11 years since the publication o the third edition. During that
period, health care has undergone numerous changes related
A
to improved technology or testing, changes in insurance
coverage that in uence tests chosen and time spent with the
patient, the addition o electronic health record keeping, and
improved privacy or patients. T e movement to standard-
F
ize optometry on a national level continues. T e intellectual
oundations o optometric practice have been strengthened
by an ever-growing body o scienti c literature. Consequently,
E
we have updated the re erence sections with recent cita-
tions and added or modi ed procedures in accordance with
contemporary concepts and knowledge.
R
One o the key motivations or the 1990 edition o this
book was the lack o standardization or many clinical proce-
dures. Books such as this one attempt to alleviate the problem
to some degree. Nevertheless, it remains true now as it did at
P
the time o the rst, second, and third editions: there is still
more than one acceptable way to per orm many o the proce-
dures. In some o these instances we have added variations in
the step-by-step procedures, clearly indicating that there is a
valid, alternate way to per orm that step or procedure.
T is edition continues the practice o earlier editions
o not including highly technical or equipment-speci c
techniques. o learn to operate these tools, one must re er to
the manual that comes with the instrument. We remain true
to our primary mission: to describe how to per orm a wide
variety o use ul tests without a large body o theory.
This page intentionally left blank
N
T e purpose o Clinical Procedure for Ocular Exam
ination is to provide students and practitioners with detailed
O
step-by-step procedures or a comprehensive battery o
techniques used in the examination o the eye. T ese pro-
cedures include tests or assessing the re ractive error, the
accommodative unction, the binocular coordination, and
I
the health o the eyes, monitoring the t and condition o
contact lenses, and screening tests or neurological and sys-
T
temic health conditions. T e book contains detailed, step-
by-step instructions on how to per orm each technique. For
each procedure, the reader is provided with comprehensive
C
in ormation on the purpose o the test, what equipment is
needed, how to set up the equipment and the patient prop-
erly, and how to record the ndings. Expected ndings are
U
listed or most tests. T e text includes diagrams and photo-
graphs to rein orce the descriptions o the techniques.
T e emphasis in this book is technical. It provides little in
the way o the theory or the background o the tests. Removal
D
o the theoretical discussion leaves a pure, concise descrip-
tion o the techniques and allows the reader to concentrate
on the psychomotor mechanics o the procedures. Readers
who are un amiliar with the techniques can use the descrip-
O
tions in this manual to learn the test procedures with little
or no supervision. Readers who are already amiliar with the
techniques can use this manual to review a test procedure
R
to ensure that they or someone under their supervision is
per orming it correctly. Mastery o the techniques and inter-
pretation o the ndings, however, cannot be obtained solely
through the use o this book, but requires supervised clinical
T
practice as well as a thorough understanding o the theoreti-
cal basis or each technique. Included in the Re erences sec-
tion at the end o the book are sources that will provide the
N
reader with the necessary theory and background or each o
the procedures.
T e rst chapter o the book deals with patient commu-
nication, clearly the most important aspect o patient care.
I
Good communication improves patient outcomes and makes
the encounter more enjoyable or both the patient and the
doctor. T e rst time the patient and doctor meet is usually
during the case history, a critical phase o the examination. In
addition to establishing rapport with the patient and setting
xvi Introduction
the tone or the exam, the history marks the beginning o the doctor’s
diagnostic thought process. Knowing the patient’s concerns, the examiner
can now begin to develop his examination strategy. Based on the patient’s
chie complaints and routine background in ormation gathered in the
case history, the examiner can decide which phases o the examination to
concentrate on and which problem-speci c testing should be done.
T e second chapter describes the entrance tests. T ese techniques
are the rst procedures per ormed ollowing the case history. T ey are
relatively simple procedures that use minimal, primarily handheld equip-
ment. T ey screen or problems in each o the three major problem areas:
re raction, visual unction, and health. Most o the entrance tests screen
or problems in more than one o these three areas. T ought ul interpre-
tation o the results o the entrance tests can greatly increase the ef ciency
o the examination. Augmented by the in ormation gathered in the case
history, entrance tests data aid the examiner in pinpointing the patient’s
problem areas and appropriately directing the examination strategy.
Chapters 3 through 5 correspond to the problem areas o re raction,
visual unction, and ocular health. raditionally, a complete ocular exami-
nation consisted o comprehensive testing in each o these three areas. T e
in ormation thus obtained was re erred to as the “minimum de ned data
base.” I a problem was discovered through these procedures, additional
problem-speci c tests were per ormed to enhance urther evaluation. In
this age o managed health care, providers no longer have the luxury o
per orming a battery o procedures on every patient simply to collect data.
It is important to detect problems quickly, with a minimum number o
tests, allowing time to probe each problem with more speci c testing.
In Chapters 3 through 5 we have de ned tests that can be consid-
ered “core” tests. Core tests can be viewed as providing the center or
nucleus o the exam. T ey supply the examiner with enough in ormation
to detect but not to diagnose the vast majority o ocular, binocular, neu-
rological, or visual anomalies, even in the absence o patient symptoms.
T e examiner’s philosophy and the demographic characteristics o the
patient will in uence what tests will be included in the core tests. T e
traditional minimum de ned data base o the past included more tests
than those currently de ned as core tests. T is reduction in the number
o procedures included in a complete examination is reasonable, since
the minimum de ned data base already contained some redundancy. For
this reason, excluding certain tests will not a ect the quality o in or-
mation obtained. However, examiners must be aware o the increased
importance o screening or unexpected problems, and diligently ollow
up with problem-speci c testing in the case o any abnormal test results.
Introduction xvii
the overall health o the patient. T e examiner may select to per orm
certain procedures based on the patient’s age, medical history, or pre-
senting symptoms or as the result o in ormation gathered during the
comprehensive examination. Alternately, the examiner may pre er to
per orm these screening procedures routinely on all patients. Patients
with abnormal results should be re erred to the appropriate health care
provider or more thorough evaluation and diagnosis.
Chapter 8 concentrates on procedures used to assess the cranial
nerves when screening or neurological disorders. T ese techniques are
rarely used or routine screening, but they are particularly help ul when
a problem is suspected on the basis o the patient’s case history or ocu-
lar examination ndings. Many o these screening procedures should be
per ormed as side trips rom corresponding entrance tests.
T roughout the text, the masculine orm o the third person singular
pronoun is used. T is orm is used or the sake o simplicity, and applies
equally to men and women without prejudice.
S
T
We wish to thank our students who have used the numerous
outlines, owcharts, PowerPoint presentations, and hand-
outs that are the oundation o this book. T rough their ques-
N
tions they helped us determine the appropriate level o detail
needed to describe each procedure. We owe a special debt
E
to Dr David Heath and Dr Catherine Hines, who invested
countless hours and dra ted much o the text or the rst
three editions. We also wish to thank Mr Mirza Hasane endic,
M
Dr Robert Gordon, Dr i enie Harris, Mr Ed MacKinnon,
and Dr errence Knisely or their excellent photography;
Dr Susan Baylus or her work on many o the computer graph-
G
ics; Dr Patti Augeri, Dr Bina Patel, and Dr Maureen Hanley,
who were involved in developing the laboratory manual that
was the oundation or Chapter 5, Rudol Mireles, PharmD,
D
or help with preparation o the section on “How to Write
a Prescription or Medication,” and Ms Monique essier,
Ms Lori Rees, and Dr Ida Chung o the Western University
E
o Health Sciences College o Optometry or countless
hours xing last-minute emergencies during the preparation
L
o the manuscript or the ourth edition.
We would also like to acknowledge the sacri ces, sup-
W
port, and contributions o our amilies: om Corwin, Brian
Carlson, Adam, Esther, and Nathan Kurtz, and Kyra and
Lynne Silvers.
O
N
K
C
A
This page intentionally left blank
1
R
E
Patient
T
Communication
P
Nancy B. Carlson, OD, FAAO, and
A
Daniel Kurtz, OD, PhD, FAAO
H
C
Introduction to Patient Communication
Case History
Presenting Examination Results to a Patient
Verbal Presentation o Your Patient to a Colleague,
Preceptor, or Attending Supervisor
How to Write a Consultancy or Re erral Letter
Reporting Abuse
How to Write a Prescription or Medication
2 Chapter 1
CASE HISTO RY
Purpose
• o est blish c ring rel tionshi with the tient, showing co s-
sion, e thy, nd res ect or the tient.
• o g ther in or tion bout the tient’s chie co l int, visu l unc-
tion, ocul r nd syste ic he lth, risk ctors, nd li estyle.
• o begin the rocess o di erenti l di gnosis.
• o begin the rocess o tient educ tion.
Setup
Prior to st rting the or l c se history, the doctor should welco e the
tient, show the tient where to ut his co t nd belongings during
the ex in tion, introduce hi sel to the tient, nd exch nge ew
le s ntries with the tient (eg, How bout the P triots/Bruins/Celtics/
Red Sox? Wh t do you think bout the we ther we’ve been h ving?).
Be sure th t the tient is co ort ble where he is se ted nd th t the
overhe d light is not shining in the tient’s eyes. T e doctor should be
se ted t the s e height s the tient, in osition th t kes it e sy
to int in eye cont ct with the tient nd to cilit te convers tion.
When using electronic health records, t blet co uter will cilit te
good co unic tion, s shown in Figure 1-1. Although the c se history
is usu lly done t the beginning o the ex in tion, d t y be dded
to it s in or tion is g thered during testing. P tients so eti es reve l
ore in or tion s they beco e ore co ort ble with the doctor.
FIGURE 1 -1. The doctor takes the case history and records it on a tablet computer, enhanc-
ing his ability to maintain eye contact with the patient.
• Family History
H s nyone in your ily h d c t r cts, gl uco , or blindness? H s
nyone h d n eye turn or l zy eye? I yes, who, when, or how long,
nd wh t w s the tre t ent?”
Patient Communication 9
• Social History
Wh t kind o work do you do?
Wh t re your hobbies? Wh t do you like to do in your s re ti e?
Do you drive?
Do you s oke? Drink lcohol? Use street drugs?
• Summary
T e re son or your visit tod y is nd you h ve concerns bout?
Wh t other concerns bout your eyes, your gener l he lth, or your
ily’s eyes or he lth would you like to tell e bout?
Wh t questions do you h ve or e t this oint in the ex in tion?
CASEHISTORYat a glance
COMPONENTS TECHNIQUES
History o the Establish reason or patient’s visit and elaborate on his com-
Present Illness/Chie plaints to ully understand them and to begin the process
Complaint (HPI/CC) o di erential diagnosis
Past Medical History Ask about ocular history, general health, symptoms o com-
(PMH) and Review mon eye problems, medications, allergies, review systems
o Systems (ROS) to f nd out about the patient’s health
Family History (FH) Ask about problems that run in the amily to determine
patient’s risks
Summary Summarize in your own words why the patient is here and
ask i the patient wants to add anything
Recording
Record ll in or tion, including the neg tives.
Patient Communication 11
P RESENTING EXAMINATIO N
RESULTS TO A PATIENT
Purpose
o rovide concise verb l su ry to the tient o ll ertinent in or-
tion ro the ex in tion.
Indications
Every tient should be given su ry o results ter every
ex in tion.
Equipment
No s eci c equi ent is required.
Setup
A co y o the tient record or other notes y be hel ul re erences to
h ve t h nd. However, you should be su ciently ili r with the ex -
in tion ndings th t you need to consult the record only in requently.
St e p b y St e p Pro ce d u re
1. Begin by st ting the di gnosis to the tient in l ngu ge he c n
underst nd. Alw ys rel te the di gnosis to the tient’s chie co -
l int or re son or visit.
2. Su rize the testing th t w s done to con r the di gnosis nd to
rule out other di gnoses.
3. Describe the etiology, rognosis, nd ex ected course o the
roble .
4. In or the tient o your reco ended tre t ent nd n ge-
ent o the di gnosis. When there is ore th n one o tion or
n ge ent, in or the tient o the v rious o tions with your
reco end tion or the best o tion. Include the risks nd bene ts
o e ch o tion.
5. I the l n involves re err l to nother clinici n, in or the tient
who you would like hi to see nd how urgent it is or the tient
12 Chapter 1
Recording
Present tions re given verb lly to the tient. Det ils o the di gnoses,
n ge ent l n, tient educ tion given, re err ls, nd when you w nt
to see the tient g in should be recorded in the tient’s record.
Example #1
Presentation to the Patient
(B ckground, not s id to the tient: Mr XY is 43-ye r-old ccount nt
whose chie co l int is di culty re ding, es eci lly t the end o the d y
or in di light. He re orts th t things re e sier to see i he holds the
urther w y, but his r s h ve beco e too short. Mr XY’s gener l he lth
is good nd urther erson l nd ily histories re unre rk ble.)
S y to the tient, “Mr XY, you h ve resbyo i , roble th t
everyone ex eriences t so e ti e between the ges o 38 nd 45.
Presbyo i is c used by the decre se in f exibility o the lens inside your
eye th t ocuses or close u nd is nor l ex ected ch nge with ge.
T e lens h s been losing f exibility since ge 15 but c tches u to ost o
us in our e rly 40s.
“Presbyo i c n be corrected with re ding gl sses. Since you we r
gl sses ll the ti e, I reco end rogressive ddition lenses. T ese
lenses llow you to see t ll dist nce without h ving to ch nge to di -
erent ir o gl sses.
“I you would like to consider cont ct lenses, I c n discuss sever l
cont ct lens o tions with you.
“As the lens inside your eye continues to lose f exibility u to ge 60,
resbyo i will rogress over ti e whether or not it is corrected with
gl sses. You will notice th t the gl sses I rescribe or you tod y will not
work s well in ew ye rs s they do now.
Patient Communication 13
Example #2
Presentation to the Patient
(B ckground, not s id to the tient: Ms BC is 19-ye r college so h-
o ore who h s noticed inter ittent vision loss in eriorly in her right
eye or the st 3 d ys since she w s hit in the he d by te te’s
elbow during b sketb ll r ctice. BC h s lso noticed little bl ck s ecks
f o ting in ront o her right eye nd occ sion l f shes o light. She h s
worn cont ct lenses since ge 12 or oder te yo i nd h s h d ye rly
ex in tions since ge 10. Ms BC t kes no edic tions nd h s no ller-
gies. Her gener l he lth is good nd urther erson l or ily history is
unre rk ble. Check the tient’s he lth insur nce, c ll the ro ri te
retin l s eci list, nd ke n oint ent or Ms BC.)
S y to the tient, “BC, you h ve retin l det ch ent in your right
eye. T is ost likely occurred when you were hit during b sketb ll r c-
tice. Pro t tre t ent o retin l det ch ent is necess ry to revent er-
nent vision loss. I would like you to see retin l s eci list s soon s
ossible.
“I h ve c lled Dr H nd he c n see you this ternoon. I de n
oint ent or you with Dr H t 2:45 pm tod y nd I will send co y o
your record ro tod y to hi . He will ex ine you nd decide on the
14 Chapter 1
I see increasing reason to believe that the view formed some time
back as to the origin of the Makonde bush is the correct one. I have
no doubt that it is not a natural product, but the result of human
occupation. Those parts of the high country where man—as a very
slight amount of practice enables the eye to perceive at once—has not
yet penetrated with axe and hoe, are still occupied by a splendid
timber forest quite able to sustain a comparison with our mixed
forests in Germany. But wherever man has once built his hut or tilled
his field, this horrible bush springs up. Every phase of this process
may be seen in the course of a couple of hours’ walk along the main
road. From the bush to right or left, one hears the sound of the axe—
not from one spot only, but from several directions at once. A few
steps further on, we can see what is taking place. The brush has been
cut down and piled up in heaps to the height of a yard or more,
between which the trunks of the large trees stand up like the last
pillars of a magnificent ruined building. These, too, present a
melancholy spectacle: the destructive Makonde have ringed them—
cut a broad strip of bark all round to ensure their dying off—and also
piled up pyramids of brush round them. Father and son, mother and
son-in-law, are chopping away perseveringly in the background—too
busy, almost, to look round at the white stranger, who usually excites
so much interest. If you pass by the same place a week later, the piles
of brushwood have disappeared and a thick layer of ashes has taken
the place of the green forest. The large trees stretch their
smouldering trunks and branches in dumb accusation to heaven—if
they have not already fallen and been more or less reduced to ashes,
perhaps only showing as a white stripe on the dark ground.
This work of destruction is carried out by the Makonde alike on the
virgin forest and on the bush which has sprung up on sites already
cultivated and deserted. In the second case they are saved the trouble
of burning the large trees, these being entirely absent in the
secondary bush.
After burning this piece of forest ground and loosening it with the
hoe, the native sows his corn and plants his vegetables. All over the
country, he goes in for bed-culture, which requires, and, in fact,
receives, the most careful attention. Weeds are nowhere tolerated in
the south of German East Africa. The crops may fail on the plains,
where droughts are frequent, but never on the plateau with its
abundant rains and heavy dews. Its fortunate inhabitants even have
the satisfaction of seeing the proud Wayao and Wamakua working
for them as labourers, driven by hunger to serve where they were
accustomed to rule.
But the light, sandy soil is soon exhausted, and would yield no
harvest the second year if cultivated twice running. This fact has
been familiar to the native for ages; consequently he provides in
time, and, while his crop is growing, prepares the next plot with axe
and firebrand. Next year he plants this with his various crops and
lets the first piece lie fallow. For a short time it remains waste and
desolate; then nature steps in to repair the destruction wrought by
man; a thousand new growths spring out of the exhausted soil, and
even the old stumps put forth fresh shoots. Next year the new growth
is up to one’s knees, and in a few years more it is that terrible,
impenetrable bush, which maintains its position till the black
occupier of the land has made the round of all the available sites and
come back to his starting point.
The Makonde are, body and soul, so to speak, one with this bush.
According to my Yao informants, indeed, their name means nothing
else but “bush people.” Their own tradition says that they have been
settled up here for a very long time, but to my surprise they laid great
stress on an original immigration. Their old homes were in the
south-east, near Mikindani and the mouth of the Rovuma, whence
their peaceful forefathers were driven by the continual raids of the
Sakalavas from Madagascar and the warlike Shirazis[47] of the coast,
to take refuge on the almost inaccessible plateau. I have studied
African ethnology for twenty years, but the fact that changes of
population in this apparently quiet and peaceable corner of the earth
could have been occasioned by outside enterprises taking place on
the high seas, was completely new to me. It is, no doubt, however,
correct.
The charming tribal legend of the Makonde—besides informing us
of other interesting matters—explains why they have to live in the
thickest of the bush and a long way from the edge of the plateau,
instead of making their permanent homes beside the purling brooks
and springs of the low country.
“The place where the tribe originated is Mahuta, on the southern
side of the plateau towards the Rovuma, where of old time there was
nothing but thick bush. Out of this bush came a man who never
washed himself or shaved his head, and who ate and drank but little.
He went out and made a human figure from the wood of a tree
growing in the open country, which he took home to his abode in the
bush and there set it upright. In the night this image came to life and
was a woman. The man and woman went down together to the
Rovuma to wash themselves. Here the woman gave birth to a still-
born child. They left that place and passed over the high land into the
valley of the Mbemkuru, where the woman had another child, which
was also born dead. Then they returned to the high bush country of
Mahuta, where the third child was born, which lived and grew up. In
course of time, the couple had many more children, and called
themselves Wamatanda. These were the ancestral stock of the
Makonde, also called Wamakonde,[48] i.e., aborigines. Their
forefather, the man from the bush, gave his children the command to
bury their dead upright, in memory of the mother of their race who
was cut out of wood and awoke to life when standing upright. He also
warned them against settling in the valleys and near large streams,
for sickness and death dwelt there. They were to make it a rule to
have their huts at least an hour’s walk from the nearest watering-
place; then their children would thrive and escape illness.”
The explanation of the name Makonde given by my informants is
somewhat different from that contained in the above legend, which I
extract from a little book (small, but packed with information), by
Pater Adams, entitled Lindi und sein Hinterland. Otherwise, my
results agree exactly with the statements of the legend. Washing?
Hapana—there is no such thing. Why should they do so? As it is, the
supply of water scarcely suffices for cooking and drinking; other
people do not wash, so why should the Makonde distinguish himself
by such needless eccentricity? As for shaving the head, the short,
woolly crop scarcely needs it,[49] so the second ancestral precept is
likewise easy enough to follow. Beyond this, however, there is
nothing ridiculous in the ancestor’s advice. I have obtained from
various local artists a fairly large number of figures carved in wood,
ranging from fifteen to twenty-three inches in height, and
representing women belonging to the great group of the Mavia,
Makonde, and Matambwe tribes. The carving is remarkably well
done and renders the female type with great accuracy, especially the
keloid ornamentation, to be described later on. As to the object and
meaning of their works the sculptors either could or (more probably)
would tell me nothing, and I was forced to content myself with the
scanty information vouchsafed by one man, who said that the figures
were merely intended to represent the nembo—the artificial
deformations of pelele, ear-discs, and keloids. The legend recorded
by Pater Adams places these figures in a new light. They must surely
be more than mere dolls; and we may even venture to assume that
they are—though the majority of present-day Makonde are probably
unaware of the fact—representations of the tribal ancestress.
The references in the legend to the descent from Mahuta to the
Rovuma, and to a journey across the highlands into the Mbekuru
valley, undoubtedly indicate the previous history of the tribe, the
travels of the ancestral pair typifying the migrations of their
descendants. The descent to the neighbouring Rovuma valley, with
its extraordinary fertility and great abundance of game, is intelligible
at a glance—but the crossing of the Lukuledi depression, the ascent
to the Rondo Plateau and the descent to the Mbemkuru, also lie
within the bounds of probability, for all these districts have exactly
the same character as the extreme south. Now, however, comes a
point of especial interest for our bacteriological age. The primitive
Makonde did not enjoy their lives in the marshy river-valleys.
Disease raged among them, and many died. It was only after they
had returned to their original home near Mahuta, that the health
conditions of these people improved. We are very apt to think of the
African as a stupid person whose ignorance of nature is only equalled
by his fear of it, and who looks on all mishaps as caused by evil
spirits and malignant natural powers. It is much more correct to
assume in this case that the people very early learnt to distinguish
districts infested with malaria from those where it is absent.
This knowledge is crystallized in the
ancestral warning against settling in the
valleys and near the great waters, the
dwelling-places of disease and death. At the
same time, for security against the hostile
Mavia south of the Rovuma, it was enacted
that every settlement must be not less than a
certain distance from the southern edge of the
plateau. Such in fact is their mode of life at the
present day. It is not such a bad one, and
certainly they are both safer and more
comfortable than the Makua, the recent
intruders from the south, who have made USUAL METHOD OF
good their footing on the western edge of the CLOSING HUT-DOOR
plateau, extending over a fairly wide belt of
country. Neither Makua nor Makonde show in their dwellings
anything of the size and comeliness of the Yao houses in the plain,
especially at Masasi, Chingulungulu and Zuza’s. Jumbe Chauro, a
Makonde hamlet not far from Newala, on the road to Mahuta, is the
most important settlement of the tribe I have yet seen, and has fairly
spacious huts. But how slovenly is their construction compared with
the palatial residences of the elephant-hunters living in the plain.
The roofs are still more untidy than in the general run of huts during
the dry season, the walls show here and there the scanty beginnings
or the lamentable remains of the mud plastering, and the interior is a
veritable dog-kennel; dirt, dust and disorder everywhere. A few huts
only show any attempt at division into rooms, and this consists
merely of very roughly-made bamboo partitions. In one point alone
have I noticed any indication of progress—in the method of fastening
the door. Houses all over the south are secured in a simple but
ingenious manner. The door consists of a set of stout pieces of wood
or bamboo, tied with bark-string to two cross-pieces, and moving in
two grooves round one of the door-posts, so as to open inwards. If
the owner wishes to leave home, he takes two logs as thick as a man’s
upper arm and about a yard long. One of these is placed obliquely
against the middle of the door from the inside, so as to form an angle
of from 60° to 75° with the ground. He then places the second piece
horizontally across the first, pressing it downward with all his might.
It is kept in place by two strong posts planted in the ground a few
inches inside the door. This fastening is absolutely safe, but of course
cannot be applied to both doors at once, otherwise how could the
owner leave or enter his house? I have not yet succeeded in finding
out how the back door is fastened.