What do you do when your patient doesn’t respond to your low-dose atropine treatment? This case explores the nuances in navigating management when atropine doesn’t work as well as you might expect.
Low dose atropine is often used for myopia control in children. How commonly will patients complain of side effects, such as photophobia, allergy or blurry vision at near? BL presents a patient who experienced blurry vision after using 0.01% atropine once, and subsequently refused to use it. This led to significant fear and misconception on the part of the parent. How should a case like this be managed?
You may be ready to cease treatment, or the patient has done so of their own accord. Then you observe that the rate of myopic progression accelerates again – a myopia rebound effect. When does this happen? Can you avoid it? What should you consider doing in practice?
Professor Karla Zadnik, Dean of the Ohio State University College of Optometry in the USA,, discusses the Childhood Atropine for Myopia Progression (CHAMP) study, engaging with the literature, her favourite papers and an alternative take on myopia control as standard of care.
The research information on using atropine for myopia control is evolving. Previous research indicated 0.01% atropine was best, but newer research says otherwise. In this clinical case, practitioners discuss treatment strategies, which are put in research context with clinical pearls for practice.
A child has an allergic reaction to low dose atropine – or does he? Here practitioners consider the possible causes, with advice for management. We then frame this discussion in view of the evidence-base with take home clinical messages.
Atropine can be used for myopia control as a monotherapy or as an adjunct to an optical intervention – we discuss patient selection, atropine combination treatments, how to taper and when to stop.
Read these three clinical complex atropine cases where general health conditions required careful consideration of atropine prescribing for myopia control.
Most atropine currently prescribed for myopia control is compounded. How could this influence consistency of treatment and research results? What could current research lead to in future prescribing? Read more here.
As there are systemic side effects of atropine eye drops, they could be contraindicated in young patients with some conditions, syndromes, and when taking specific systemic medications. Medication safety is also discussed.
