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NHMRC Glaucoma Guidelines - ANZGIG

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<strong>NHMRC</strong> GUIDELINES FOR THE SCREENING, PROGNOSIS, DIAGNOSIS, MANAGEMENT AND PREVENTION OF GLAUCOMA<br />

Chapter 1 – Recommendations and Evidence statements<br />

Recommendation<br />

Evidence Statements<br />

Managing glaucoma in specific population<br />

groups – Children<br />

Evidence supports using beta-blockers in infants and<br />

children where necessary.<br />

Evidence suggests using beta-blockers with caution in<br />

premature and small infants, as bradycardia, bronchospasm<br />

and hypoglycemia have been reported.<br />

Evidence indicates caution when using topical and systemic<br />

carbonic anhydrase inhibitors in children, in situations<br />

where glaucoma is resistant to other treatment and/or<br />

prior to surgery.<br />

Managing glaucoma in specific population groups –<br />

Breastfeeding mothers<br />

Evidence supports using beta-blockers in pregnancy, but with<br />

caution due to the risks of foetal bradycardia and interuterine<br />

growth restriction.<br />

Evidence supports laser therapy over surgical techniques in<br />

women who are pregnant or planning to conceive in the<br />

near future.<br />

Evidence<br />

Statement<br />

Grade<br />

C<br />

C<br />

C<br />

C<br />

Chapter 10 – Laser therapy and surgery<br />

Recommendation 12<br />

Reduce IOP by using<br />

laser techniques and<br />

incisional surgery<br />

Good Practice Points<br />

• Offer laser trabeculoplasty<br />

as an alternative, or<br />

additive to medications.<br />

• Offer surgical IOP<br />

reduction when<br />

medications and/or laser<br />

trabeculoplasty fail to meet<br />

targets or are unsuitable,<br />

and visual disability is<br />

threatened. There are<br />

inherent risks with invasive<br />

procedures, which must be<br />

justified by likely benefits.<br />

• <strong>Glaucoma</strong> drainage<br />

devices may control IOP<br />

long-term and may be<br />

suitable if other drainage<br />

surgery fails, or as first-line<br />

surgery in eyes with higher<br />

risks of failure (including<br />

inflammatory glaucomas<br />

and ICE syndrome).<br />

Summary of common laser interventions: Laser options<br />

for specific glaucoma classification and stages –<br />

Open angle glaucoma<br />

Evidence strongly supports argon laser trabeculoplasty<br />

for older patients with glaucoma who are at risk of visual<br />

loss within their lifetime, particularly when the following<br />

factors apply:<br />

−−<br />

there is difficulty with administering eye drops<br />

−−<br />

patients are unresponsive to medication alone, or<br />

−−<br />

patients are poor candidates for incisional surgery.<br />

Expert/consensus opinion suggests that patients undergoing<br />

laser therapy require continual comprehensive glaucoma<br />

monitoring due to the diminishing treatment benefit<br />

over time.<br />

Summary of common laser interventions: Laser options<br />

for specific glaucoma classification and stages –<br />

Cyclodestructive procedures in open angle glaucoma<br />

Evidence strongly supports using cyclodestructive surgery<br />

as a third choice treatment for patients with advanced<br />

glaucoma, who are poor candidates for incisional surgery.<br />

B<br />

B<br />

National Health and Medical Research Council 23

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