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Show THE SALT LAKE TIMES FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1971 Las Vegas Group Told Contact Lenses Could Lead to Blindness t soft contact lenses which are being marketed may lead to blindness, said a Los Angeles eye doctor. Dr. Albert T. Milauskas made the stunning disclosure to the final session of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology convention which has met at the Convention Center for the past week. Because of bacteria he has found on just shipped soft lenses and lenses which have been worn for some time, Dr. Milauskas said some lenses absolutely could lead to blindness. The doctor, who is on the staff of the Jules Stein Eye Institute of the University of California at Los Angeles, added he is concerned because the lenses are starting to be marketed quite widely. While Dr. Milauskas work has been just with lenses marketed within California, he has heard of problems with lenses within other states. He explained only Bausch and Lomb, a leading national producand er of lenses, licensed now is by equipment, the Food and Drug Administration to sell the lenses. In a later interview, Dr. Milua-ska- s said because the FDA can only regulate interstate marketing of lenses, local California companies selling only in California can still market the new soft lenses. He said he had tested five companies lenses and found only the ones made by Bausch and Lomb and Griffin to be uncontaminatSome eye-glass- es ed. It has been learned the other companies which had contamination found in their lenses were Contour Contact Lense, Urocon and Continuous Curve, all of California. Dr. Milauskas advised consumers to ask dispensers of the lenses of their lenses are investigational lenses. Investigational is a FDA classification which means the lenses are not completely licensed by the FDA. By law, doctors are required to say the lenses are investigational and only Bausch and Lomb is not in that catagory now. Dr. Milauskas explained the gacteria problem in the soft lense has arison because of the lenses softness. Additional problems have been created because the lenses are shipped in a salt solution which helps grow bacteria and because there are no current cleansing solutions strong enough to kill the germs and not hurt the eye. Because the soft lenses are more comfortable than regular to lenses, they have been rusheddethe market prior to having for veloped strict quality controlsstorthe manufacture, shipping, age and cleaning of those lenses, said Dr. Milauskas. A most unfortunate aspect is that even though sufficient evidence was presented to the FDA that all three of these manufacturers had contaminated lenses, forced only two of the three were to recall their lenses. The ophthalmologist said 2,200 pair of lenses have been recalled, lie added the FDA took quick action but possibly hasnt gone as far as it should. As a result contaminated lenses are still being sold and worn by unsuspecting California patients. Dr. Milauskas explained he discovered the problem after prescribing soft lenses for a patient with a corneal problem. After wearing the soft lenses for five days, she had severe pain and pus. Dr. Milauskas immediately gave her antibiotics and took a sample of the pus for laboratory study. Despite treatment with medicine, the infection left a scar on her cornea. Alarmed at what he had found, Dr. Milauskas went to the optometrist who had dispensed the contact lenses and sampled 11 other sets of lenses. Nine were contaminated with these same two germs. He next tested samples of soft lenses from two California manufactures. These also were con- taminated by the pseudomonas and coccabacillary germs. Five more lenses were tested from yet a third California manufacturer and were found to be contaminated with the pseudomonas and yet another germ. The same was true of a lens obtained from an optometrist in a distant part of California, and with lenses worn by four more patients. Six months life span is average for hydrophilic lenses. They can be torn, especially by the wearers fingernails. When prescribed by a professional practitioner, hydrophilic contact lenses are expected to cost more than conventional con- tact lenses. No type of contact lenses can be worn forever without removal or care, a claim made for hydrophilic lenses in 1964 when they were brought to the U.S.A. for development. Available hydrophilic contact lenses, like rigid lenses, do not pass oxygen the eye needs. Worn too long at a time, any contact lens may cause pain, and cells to outer the of the damage cornea. The hydrophilic plastic, (HEMA) was first used in contact lenses in 1962 in Czechoslovakia by Drs. Otto Wichterle and Drahoslav Lim. U. S. Optical manufacturers began experimenting with hydrophilic contact lenses in 1964. Several more manufacturers arc developing varieties of hydrophilic plastic and other soft material for use in contact lenses. Bausch & Lomb was the first to gain safety clearance from the U. S. Food and Drug Administration, which requires a lengthy routine of experimental testing and prescription. light-sensitivi- ty -- ri The Credit Side Of Predation Sportsmen have long looked upon predatory animals as one serious threat to the sport of hunting. The common belief was that any animal that killed a game species shoudl be exterminated. Today, this thinking is being challenged. Various methods have been undertaken to control predator populations and thus protect the more desirable game animals. Natural predation, however, is an essential part of natures well calculated scheme for a healthy wildlife population. Predators harvest part of the surplus of any wildlife crop, taking the weakest, the physically handicapped and the sick. What they do not kill will be removed by weather, disease or starvation. What most sportsmen do not know is that predators are an asset to the sport. A predators victims are usually the weakest of a given wildlife species because they are the easiest to catch. Thus the predator helps to maintain a healthy and alert population of game species. Predation also helps to control disease. Only the physically superior among the preyed upon species survive to reproduce. The result is a better game animal for the hunter to harvest. Even the natural nest robber serves a useful purpose. He can force the feathered victim to move to another area and try for another brood. The result is a staggered hatch, eliminating a total kill of newly born offspring by a single spell of bad weather. So the predator does have a credit side to his ledger. He serves a definite purpose in natures scheme of things. Page Five National Congress of PTA Reacts to Nixon's Budget Concerned that President Nixon will not budget the entire congressional appropriation of $20 million earmarked for venereal disease control in 1972, the National PTA has issued a call for immediate action to staie PTA legislative chairmen and members of the National PTA board of managers. The call for action urges the PTA leaders to write your senators and congressmen to bring whatever pressure necessary to make certain the full $20 million appropriated is made available for the prevention and control of venereal disease. Responding favorably to the recent appropriation, Mrs. Walter G. Kimmel, National PTA coordinator of legislative activity, expressed concern, however that President Nixons intention to shave off four billion dollars of the total monies appropriated by the Congress might affect the funding for venereal disease con- trol. Another area of legislative concern of the National PTA is the school lunch program. Last August the Department of Agriculture issued new regulations related to reimbursement to states for free or reduced price meals. School lunch directors have protested the new regulations which reduce the reimbursement from 42 to 35 cents. As Congress granted a bonus $100 million to school lunches for 1972 under Public Law which is additional to the $562 million already set aside, school lunch directors feel that the ef-92-3- 2, for to save money is being made by the Department of Agriculture and the Office of Management and Budget rather than by Congress. During a National PTA board of managers meeting in Chicago recently, state PTA presidents sent telegrams to their senators and congressmen urging that they express strong opposition to this action. At that time, a PTA call for action also recommended that states work through their senators and congressmen to see that the Department of Agriculture and the Office of Management and Budget spend the money for school lunches as Congress intended. In the past, PTA calls for action have been used to bring about legislation which affects the Welfare of all children. The National PTA, through such a call and testimony before Senate and House hearings, played a key role in the passage of the Drug Abuse Education Act. Made For Walkin George Washingtons soldiers Wrapped rags around their feet to keep out the cold; grandma, wore mother tugged high-button- ed shoes; your at red galoshes. But youre the lucky one. Suede and leather boots warm up win- try legs, velvet boots go dancing. Probably the most popular are the shiny, lightweight vinyls. Housewives are taking a tip from secretaries re: boot upkeep. Scotch desk and office cleaner keeps vinyl sparkling. It also works fast on leather and plastic purses, and artificial plants. jjoasft mv Ilf you like idea of using your skill, you'll like the Army Reserve. So do we. And because Utah needs more phones in more places for more people who are calling more and talking longer, were spending nearly $30 million this year for more equipment and more circuits. All to make your telephone work better. We want to be the best telephone company you ever had. (2) Mountain Bell |
