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OBJECTIVES: Register-based cohorts allow us to better understand bipolar disorder over a life course. They are inclusive and their long-term data collection provides a longer scope than most clinical trials. This mapping review provides an overview of register-based cohort studies of bipolar disorder to inform researchers of the strengths and limitations to this body of research and identify gaps for future research. METHODS: A systematic search was performed of Medline, EMBASE, and PsycINFO databases. Cohort studies were included if they focused on bipolar disorder and had a minimum of 1 year of longitudinal data. Studies needed to be from databases that monitor the whole state or national population. A descriptive analysis of the studies' populations and methodology provides an overview of this field of study and identifies evidence gaps. RESULTS: A hundred and forty-six studies were included. The majority were from databases in Taiwan (n = 63), Denmark (n = 38), Sweden (n = 23), and Finland (n = 11). Forty-eight studies focused on aetiological questions. Sixty prognostic studies identified cohorts with bipolar disorder and described the impact of the illness by considering comorbidity, prescribing patterns, social functioning, and mortality. Thirty-six treatment studies focused on the efficacy and adverse effects of pharmaceuticals and ECT. No studies focused on psychological treatments. CONCLUSION: Bipolar disorder research should include register-based cohorts with greater geopolitical and cultural diversity. Custodians of health registers should consider how non-pharmaceutical interventions such as psychotherapy are captured. Register-based cohorts investigating treatments of bipolar disorder should consider long-term social outcomes alongside the usual clinical outcomes.

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Purpose: Commercially available chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) has a beyond-use date of 24 h. This study evaluated the stability and sterility of 0.05% CHG for 30 days after opening and compared its cost to povidone iodine (PI) for intravitreal injection antisepsis. Methods: 0.05% CHG was aliquoted into 1-mL syringes and stored at room temperature or refrigerated. Turbidity, pH, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and sterility testing were performed. A cost analysis was conducted. Results: 0.05% CHG remained stable for at least 30 days. All samples had measured turbidity <0.5 nephelometric turbidity units. The pH of all samples remained between 5.0 and 7.0. HPLC demonstrated CHG concentration at day 30 relative to day 0 of 98.52% ± 4.16% at room temperature and 99.99% ± 3.38% at 2°C -6°C. The cost per week to perform 150 injections using 0.05% CHG was $463.25 when opening a new bottle daily compared with $16.73 for 5% PI. This cost decreased to $23.16 when utilizing a bottle of CHG for 30 days. Conclusion: 0.05% CHG remains stable and sterile for at least 30 days after opening. The ability to use CHG for at least 30 days after its opening significantly decreases its utilization expense.

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AIMS: To compare sodium valproate dispensing in women of childbearing age diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in 2014 and 2019 to discover if prescribing practices in Aotearoa New Zealand have changed in response to international recommendations. METHODS: National dispensing data from the Pharmaceutical Collection were linked with diagnostic data from PRIMHD (the national mental health and addiction database) to identify people diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in Aotearoa New Zealand who were dispensed psychotropic medication. Dispensing of sodium valproate for women of childbearing age was compared between 2014 and 2019. Rates of dispensing were compared between ethnicities. RESULTS: In 2014, 10% of women of childbearing age diagnosed with borderline personality disorder were dispensed sodium valproate. This reduced to 6% of women in 2019 (p<0.001). In 2014, there was substantial ethnic disparity with 18.1% of Maori women and 15.8% of Pacific women dispensed sodium valproate compared with 7.4% of New Zealand Europeans. This disparity reduced in 2019, with 6.4% of Maori women and 12.5% of Pacific women dispensed sodium valproate compared with 5.6% of New Zealand Europeans. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that international recommendations and guidelines have been effective in changing clinical practice and reducing ethnic inequities. Given the significant risk to offspring exposed to sodium valproate, we echo warnings against off-label prescribing of sodium valproate in borderline personality disorder.

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OBJECTIVE: Intravitreal injections (IVIs) are the most frequently performed intraocular procedure in Canada. Povidone-iodine (PI) is the current gold standard for antisepsis for IVI and is widely used; chlorhexidine (CH) is a possible alternative antiseptic agent. This study aims to compare rates of endophthalmitis after IVI with 0.05% chlorhexidine with a 4% alcohol base antisepsis to rates of endophthalmitis after IVI with 10% PI antisepsis. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SUBJECTS: Eyes that received IVI between May 2019 and October 2022 at a group retina practice in Edmonton, Canada. METHODS: Eyes at a single center received focal conjunctival application of either 10% PI antisepsis or 0.05% CH in 4% alcohol antisepsis for 30 seconds before each IVI. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Rates of endophthalmitis between the PI and CH groups. RESULTS: A total of 170 952 IVIs were performed during the study period. A total of 31 135 were performed using CH prophylaxis compared with 139 817 with PI prophylaxis. Among all IVIs there were 49 total cases of endophthalmitis, 29 in the PI group (0.021%) and 20 in the CH group (0.064%). There was a statistically significant difference in the rates of endophthalmitis between the 2 groups (P < 0.001). The odds ratio for developing endophthalmitis with CH antisepsis was 3.1 (95% confidence interval, 1.9-5.2) compared with PI antisepsis. There were increased odds of developing endophthalmitis with aflibercept injection compared with bevacizumab (odds ratio, 3.48; 95% confidence interval, 2.09-7.24). CONCLUSIONS: There is a statistically significant difference in rates of endophthalmitis between alcohol-based CH and PI antisepsis for IVI in our patient population utilizing the methods discussed. In our center, alcohol-based CH is now considered a second-line antiseptic agent. Further studies are warranted to further assess the endophthalmitis rate utilizing these 2 antiseptic agents. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

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Introduction: To evaluate the effect of antivascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF)-related endophthalmitis on intravitreal injection (IVI) frequency in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed of all cases of post IVI endophthalmitis that occurred in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, between 2012 and 2019. Contralateral eyes affected by nAMD but without endophthalmitis served as a control group. The main outcome measures were the frequency of anti-VEGF injections, visual acuity, and activity of choroidal neovascularization before and after endophthalmitis. Results: Seventeen eyes met the inclusion criteria, 2 (12%) of which never resumed IVI after endophthalmitis because of the quiescence of disease. Post-endophthalmitis eyes received IVI less frequently in the 1 year after endophthalmitis (mean 0.52 ± 0.42 IVI/month) than those that received IVI 1 year before endophthalmitis (1.09 ± 0.36 IVI/month) (P = .001). The 17 contralateral eyes also received anti-VEGF injections less frequently after endophthalmitis than before (P = .001). There was no significant change in optical coherence tomography markers of disease activity in cases or controls. Conclusions: In patients with nAMD, endophthalmitis resolution is associated with a decrease in anti-VEGF injection frequency. The same decrease in anti-VEGF injection frequency is also seen in contralateral eyes unaffected by endophthalmitis. Markers of disease activity remain unchanged in both eyes, suggesting disease quiescence despite reduced IVI frequency.

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BACKGROUND: There is insufficient evidence to support the pharmacological treatment of borderline personality disorder. However, previous out-patient cohorts have described high rates of polypharmacy in this group. So far, there have been no national studies that have considered polypharmacy in borderline personality disorder. AIMS: To describe psychotropic polypharmacy in people with borderline personality disorder in New Zealand. METHOD: New Zealand's national databases have been used to link psychotropic medication dispensing data and diagnostic data for borderline personality disorder. Annual dispensing data for 2014 and 2019 have been compared. RESULTS: Fifty percent of people with borderline personality disorder who were dispensed medications had three or more psychotropic medications in 2014. This increased to 55.9% in 2019 (P < 0.001). Those on seven or more psychotropics increased from 8.4 to 10.7% (P < 0.023). Quetiapine was the most dispensed psychotropic medication, being given to 53.8% of people dispensed medication with borderline personality disorder in 2019. Lorazepam dispensing showed the largest increase, going from 15.5 to 26.7% between 2014 and 2019 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: There is a large burden of psychotropic polypharmacy in people with borderline personality disorder. This is concerning because of the lack of evidence regarding the efficacy of these medications in this group.

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OBJECTIVE: To describe the perspectives of those with lived experience of stimulant use disorder on methamphetamine-related violence in psychiatric inpatient settings. METHOD: Eight adult psychiatric inpatients with stimulant use disorder were recruited. Semi-structured interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Participants reported that traumatic experiences predisposed those using methamphetamine to violent behaviour. Participants were fearful of psychiatric hospitalisation because of loss of autonomy and stigma. Methamphetamine use was associated with mercurial intense emotions. Participants believed these factors led to violence during psychiatric admissions. CONCLUSIONS: People with stimulant use disorder have a sophisticated understanding of the complex causal pathways from methamphetamine use to violent behaviour. Their lived experience can make an important contribution to service development.

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SUMMARY: Compulsory community treatment orders (CTOs) are controversial because the right to refuse treatment is overridden, even when patients may not be acutely unwell. Scrutiny of outcomes associated with CTOs is therefore required. This editorial provides an overview of the evidence for CTOs. It also discusses recent papers reporting outcomes associated with CTOs and makes recommendations for researchers and clinicians to consider.

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Since the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) in 1956 by John McCarthy, the field has propelled medicine, optimized efficiency, and led to technological breakthroughs in clinical care. As an important frontier in healthcare, AI has implications on every subspecialty within medicine. This review highlights the applications of AI in ophthalmology: a specialty that lends itself well to the integration of computer algorithms due to the high volume of digital imaging, data, and objective metrics such as central retinal thickness. The focus of this review is the use of AI in retina, cornea, anterior segment, and pediatrics.

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OBJECTIVE: A central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) represents a form of ocular stroke with poor visual prognosis. CRAO shares a common pathophysiology with cerebral ischemic stroke but presents unique diagnostic and management challenges leading to variability in clinical practice. This study aims to assess the presentation, treatment, and outcomes of CRAO at a tertiary care centre in Canada over 2 years and elucidate potential areas for improvement in the care of these patients. METHODS: Single-institution retrospective review including 27 patients diagnosed with CRAO from March 2018 to March 2020 in Edmonton, Alberta. RESULTS: Most patients with CRAO presented to eye care providers (14 of 27); others presented to the emergency department (10 of 27) or family physicians (2 of 27). Three patients (11.1%) presented within 4.5 hours of symptom onset. At presentation, 81% of patients had visual acuity of 20/400 or worse in the affected eye. No patients received thrombolysis. The majority of CRAO cases had a nonarteritic etiology (92.6%). All patients had at least one pre-existing vascular risk factor. Forty-eight percent of patients received escalated medical therapy. Ipsilateral carotid stenosis was identified in 5 patients (18.5%); 3 patients required carotid endarterectomy. Two patients were diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. Two patients experienced symptomatic cerebral ischemia within 6 weeks of CRAO. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients with CRAO presented to eye care providers, and few present within the potential window for thrombolysis of 4.5 hours, highlighting the need for public awareness strategies. Our cohort highlights the significant rate of systemic comorbidity that exists in these patients.

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PURPOSE: To assess the long-term safety and efficacy of AAV2-REP1 in choroideremia (CHM) patients, and to test a potential antisense oligonucleotide therapy for CHM. DESIGN: Extended, prospective phase 1/2 clinical trial and laboratory investigation. METHODS: Five patients who received a single subfoveal injection of AAV2-REP1 were studied. The long-term safety was evaluated by ophthalmic examination, spectral domain optical coherence tomography, and fundus autofluorescence (FAF) for up to 5 years. Functional and structural changes were determined by different test modalities. Four antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) were designed to treat the CHM c.1245-521A>G mutation, which was present in 2 patients within this trial. RESULTS: Subject P3 experienced a localized intraretinal immune response that resulted in a significant loss of preserved retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). P4 experienced an exacerbation of peripheral retinoschisis. P2 had a constant ≥15-letter best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) gain in the treated eye, whereas P5 had ≥15-letter BCVA improvement once in the untreated eye. The preserved FAF areas declined more rapidly in the treated eyes compared to the untreated eyes (P = .043). A customized 25-mer ASO recovered 83.2% to 95.0% of the normal RNA and 57.5% of the normal protein in fibroblasts from 2 trial patients. CONCLUSIONS: Intraretinal inflammation triggered by AAV2-REP1 subretinal injection stabilized after 2 years but resulted in permanent damage to the retinal structure. Long-term progression of the disease was seen in both treated and untreated eyes, casting doubt as to the effectiveness of this approach in late-stage CHM. Alternative approaches such as ASO may have a therapeutic effect in a subgroup of CHM patients.

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Acute idiopathic blind spot enlargement (AIBSE) is a rare condition which is poorly understood. To our knowledge, this is the first report of acute idiopathic blind spot enlargement following covid-19 vaccination. We believe there is educational value for ophthalmologists to recognize the potential association of ocular inflammation and new mRNA vaccines.

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PURPOSE: To evaluate the outcomes and complications of scleral buckle surgery alone or combined with pneumatic retinopexy (pneumatic buckle) for the treatment of primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred thirteen patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment of whom 101 underwent primary scleral buckle surgery at Rabin Medical Center in 2005-2015 (SB group) and 112 underwent pneumatic buckle surgery at Royal Alexandra Hospital in 2013-2015 (PB group). METHODS: All patients were followed for ≥12 months. Data on clinical and surgical parameters, outcome, and complications were collected from the medical files. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Best corrected visual acuity and anatomical outcomes. RESULTS: At 12 months, average best corrected visual acuity was 0.3 logMar in the SB group and 0.42 logMar in the PB group (P < 0.05). Rates of anatomical reattachment were high and similar in the two groups (99% and 97%, respectively, P = 0.623). The SB group had a higher percentage of patients requiring additional laser applications (21% vs. 7%; P < 0.01) and buckle readjustment surgery (6% vs. 0; P = 0.01), and the PB group had a higher percentage of patients who required postoperative pars plana vitrectomy (30% vs. 17%; P = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Scleral buckle surgery alone is efficient for the treatment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Its combination with pneumatic retinopexy usually has no significant added value in terms of anatomical reattachment rate. Outcomes of Pneumatic buckling vs Scleral Buckling for RRD.

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PURPOSE: To analyze the single surgery success rate and anterior segment complications related to phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation in a series of patients undergoing phacovitrectomy for all types of primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. METHODS: We performed a retrospective interventional case series on 302 eyes undergoing phacovitrectomy for primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment repair between November 1, 2016, and February 2, 2019, in Edmonton, Canada. Primary outcomes included single surgery retinal reattachment rate and anterior segment complications. Secondary outcomes included the effects of proliferative vitreoretinopathy and macula and/or peripheral internal limiting membrane peeling on the rate of surgical success. RESULTS: The single surgery success rate of phacovitrectomy for all types of primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment was 85.1%. The presence of proliferative vitreoretinopathy was associated with lower surgical success (odds ratio, 0.33; P = 0.01). Macular internal limiting membrane peeling was associated with higher surgical success (odds ratio, 2.4; P = 0.05). Anterior segment complications included posterior capsular opacification (28.8%), posterior synechiae (10.9%), and posterior capsular rupture (2.3%). CONCLUSION: Phacovitrectomy is a safe and effective treatment option for the primary repair of rhegmatogenous retinal detachments. This study provides evidence to support the safe incorporation of phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation with retinal surgery.

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BACKGROUND: Retina sub-specialists provide much of the retina related eye care across Canada. In the province of Alberta, 18 retina sub-specialists work across six different offices. The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of care provided by Alberta retina sub-specialists in an office setting by administering a patient satisfaction survey. The results of this survey were provided to the same retina specialists to promote improvements in patient-centered health care delivery. METHODS: A cross sectional patient satisfaction survey was performed using a thirty-part questionnaire developed in collaboration with the Physician Learning Program at the University of Alberta. The survey was modelled after other similar patient satisfaction surveys used in other areas of medicine. Patients from ten of the eighteen retina practices in Alberta participated in this survey. Topics of the survey included pre-appointment experience, physician-patient interactions and quality, comments/ feedback and patient demographics. RESULTS: 214 randomly sampled patients completed the survey from three geographically separate office locations in Calgary and Edmonton. 90% of patients responded that their retina sub-specialist listened adequately and provided quality care in a timely manner. Patients felt that there could be improvements to accessibility to the clinic and reduced wait times, as well as in the pre-operative consent process. Including a more complete explanation of the procedure as well as the potential risks and benefits. Only 51% of patients felt that the risks of a potential surgery had been adequately explained to them. There was a statistically significant association found between overall satisfaction and lower wait times, understanding of procedural risks and time with, listening to and involving the patient in care. There were no correlations found with other demographics such as ethnicity, sex, distance traveled or age. CONCLUSIONS: This patient satisfaction survey provided valuable patient care feedback to the retina sub-specialists of Alberta. The survey results will assist this group to improve the consent process and thereby improve patient centered health care delivery. We would recommend the distribution of this survey or other similar patient satisfaction questionnaire by retina sub-specialists to their patients to improve patient centered care in their clinics.

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