top of page

Annotated Bibliography: "Ophthalmology"

Source #1 Bibliography:

Scott, Rebecca Lovell, PhD and Byron D., PhD Cannon. "Ophthalmology." Magill’s Medical Guide (Online Edition), January 2017. EBSCOhost, proxygsu-sfor.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?    direct=true&db=ers&AN=89093498&site=eds-live&scope=site

 

Annotation:

This article describes the science and profession of ophthalmology, going into the anatomy of the eyeball and its three layers. It then goes on to describe common eye conditions, such as conjunctivitis, keratitis, myopia (nearsightedness), glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration, and their corresponding treatment techniques. The last section of the article retraces the history of studying the eye and the scientists that did so, explaining early theories of how we see.

 

Potential Quotes:

  • The eye has three layers. The outer layer consists of the cornea and sclera. The middle layer is made up of the choroid, the ciliary body, the iris, and the lens (which separates the anterior from the posterior of the eye). The last layer includes the retina and the optic nerve. The largest area of open space in the eye is called the vitreous cavity (Pages 2-3).

  • “Inflammation of the cornea, or keratitis, usually comes from the passage of virulent organisms from the conjunctival sac, which, although exposed to the external environment, may not itself react to the presence of bacteria” (Page 4).

  • Herpes zoster ophthalmicus appears as red blotches on the eye and is caused by chicken pox (Page 4).

  • “Some zones, such as the scelra, tend to be more resistant to invasion because of the density of their fibrous tissues” (Page 4).

  • “The most common vision problem is myopia (nearsightedness). …laser techniques such as photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and laser in situ keraomileusis (LASIK) have shown some promise in treating myopia (Page 4).

  • “Glaucoma occurs when pressure caused by an excessive amount of aqueous humor increases inside the eyeball, specifically in the area of the retina” (Page 5).

  • Cataracts occur when the lens loses transparency and is associated with the aging process (Page 5).

  • Early on, “’visual rays’ were thought to leave the interior of the eye, returning to record the colors and shapes of objects encountered” (Page 6)

  • “Arab scientist ibn al-Haytham, known in the West as Alhazen, was the first to suggest that rays of light entered the eye to stimulate what he called the “sensorium” (Page 6).

  • “…exact observation of the internal features of the organ of vision hinged on both the historical progress of anatomical dissection and the development of instruments to look into the living eye” (Page 6).

  • “In the area of eye surgery, a major landmark was achieved in the 1960s when the Spanish ophthalmologist Ramón Castroviejo began to develop a method for surgical transplant of fully transparent corneas from deceased donors to replace damaged corneas in eye patients” (Page 6).

 

Assessment:

This source was written by trustworthy authors, Rebecca Lovell Scott and Bryon D., both of which have PhDs and was excerpted from Magill’s Medical Guide which is a staple in high school, college, public and medical school libraries. Adding to the reliability of this article, it was found on Galileo, a website known to provide credible sources to students.

 

Reflection:

I plan to use the information in the article to familiarize myself with the concepts of ophthalmology in order to better understand the instances I am exposed to at my internship. This article serves as a basis for my further research into the field.

Annotated Bibliography: "Preoperative Anxiety - An Important but Neglected Issue: A Narrative Review"

Source #2 Bibliography:

Bansal, Teena and Akanksha Joon. “Preoperative Anxiety – An important but Neglected Issue: A Narrative Review.” Indian Anesthetists’ Forum, vol.17, no. 2, Jul-Dec2016, pp. 37-42.EBSCOhost, doi:10.4103/0973-0311.195955

This article introduces preoperative anxiety by explaining what exactly it is and the complications that can arise from it such as “difficult venous access due to peripheral vasoconstriction, autonomic fluctuations, delayed jaw relaxation and coughing during induction of anesthesia, and increased anesthetic requirement” (Bansal and Joon 37). It then goes into how to measure preoperative anxiety by indirect measurement of sympathetic-adrenal activity such as heart rate and blood pressure or direct measurement of sympathetic-adrenal activity such as plasma cortisol, urinary catecholamine excretion, and plasma catecholamine. Subjective methods include the HAD, STAI, VAS-A, APAIS, MAACL, and LAAS. The next sections of the article go into each of these tests, explaining what questions they consist of and the benefits or limitations of each. The article then goes on explain a few studies that have been conducted on preoperative anxiety, most of which are concerned with which methods is the most effective for measurement. It ends with a section on how to treat and prevent preoperative anxiety, explaining that mainly “information about surgery reduces anxiety in the preoperative period” (Bansal and Joon 41) and that the most beneficial outcomes have been reported when patients are shown an informative video. I not only want my research to answer how preoperative anxiety is treated but also why it is important to treat. The article explains that preoperative anxiety occurs 11 to 88 percent of the time and the various factors influencing anxiety include age, gender, the extent and type of surgery, previous hospital experiences, susceptibility to and ability to cope with stressful experiences, and preoperative information. (Bansal and Joon 37). In addition to the complications it can create during surgery, preoperative anxiety has been correlated with increased pain, nausea, and vomiting in the postoperative period, a prolonged recovery, and an increased risk for infection. (Bansal and Joon 37). While sedative premedication is routinely administered to reduce preoperative anxiety, the sedatives have their own side effects which can be minimized by using nonpharmacological techniques. (Bansal and Joon 41). For these reasons, it is important that the anxiety be treated in the preoperative period. The article notes that the most beneficial way to do this is through the use a documentary video which is proven to be a “more effective technique than a brochure or a personal interview alone for conveying information to patients undergoing surgery” (Bansal and Joon 41). This article is excerpted from the Indian Anesthetists’ Forum which provides credible information covering anesthesiology, critical care, and pain management. The articles are selected for publication based on a double-blind review process and emphasis is on quality. Adding to this article’s reliability, it was found on Galileo, a website known to provide credible sources to students. The information in this article has allowed me to better understand what exactly preoperative anxiety is and why it is important to prevent it. It provides valuable information on the many methods for measuring preoperative anxiety and the most effective ways to treat it based on studies conducted in the past. Overall, this article answers many of the questions I have regarding my topic and has guided my research.

Annotated Bibliography: "Assessment of Preoperative Anxiety among Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery"

Source #3 Bibliography:

Almalki, Mohammed Saleh, et al. "Assessment of Preoperative Anxiety among Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery." Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine, vol. 69, no. 4, 15 Oct. 2017, pp. 2329-2333. EBSCOhost, doi:10.12816/0041537.

 

This article contains a study performed on patients undergoing elective surgery that assessed the subjects’ level of preoperative anxiety as well as its predictors. Using the APAIS, which contains the statements “I am worried about the anesthetic.”, “The anesthetic is on my mind continually.”, “I would like to know as much as possible about the anesthetic.”, “I am worried about the procedure.”, “The procedure is on my mind continually.”, and “I would like to know as much as possible about the procedure.”,  patients were surveyed on a 1-5 scale to assess their level of anxiety 24 hours before their operation. While patients of elective surgery are believed to have lower levels of anxiety, the study reported a relatively high level among the subjects. This survey also concluded that patients were more concerned about the surgery than the anesthesia and reported the highest scores in needing information on the operation. (Almalki et al., 2330). As for the predictors, age group, gender, martial status, previous experience of surgery, availability of family support, and type of anesthesia were assessed. A t-test was conducted to test an association between these important predictors and preoperative anxiety and statistically significant results were obtained for age group, gender, availability of family support, and type of anesthesia. The patients going under general anesthesia, with younger age, female gender, and little family support reported the highest level of anxiety. (Almalki et al., 2330). Discussing the conclusions of the study, it is noted that the results reflect “…the insufficiency or ambiguity of the information provided to the patients about their surgery” and that “…the healthcare staff should spend more time in the provision of information about the surgery in a clear and understandable matter.” (Almalki et al., 2332). The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine publishes original papers, reviews, reports, opinion papers, and editorials in the field of medicine, making this excerpt a credible source. Additionally, this article was retrieved from Galileo, a website known to provide reliable information to students.The results of this study are important to my research because it shows that patients undergoing elective surgery (which most eye surgeries fall into the category of) have high levels of anxiety. The study makes inferences about the types of patients who are more susceptible to preoperative anxiety and these predictors should be assessed by doctors in order for an adequate plan for reducing anxiety to be established. The results stress the importance of informing patients of their surgery which supports my prior research.

bottom of page