SECO International welcomes SECO 2008 attendees February 27 - March 2, 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia.

For those who are attending SECO 2008, here are some last-minute tips and tricks to maximize your SECO experience:

Two long-time Southern College of Optometry (SCO) faculty members and leaders in pediatric optometry and vision therapy have been formally recognized with the establishment of a new scholarship in their honor. The Glen T. Steele, OD, and L. Allen Fors, OD, Developmental Vision Endowed Scholarship Fund will assist deserving SCO students for academic success and a commitment to pediatrics and vision therapy in optometry.

Dr. Steele is a long-time volunteer of SECO International's continuing education committee. Dr. Steele, a 1969 graduate of Southern College of Optometry, is currently one of the longest-serving members of the SCO faculty. Dr. Steele has been instrumental in the creation of the InfantSEE™ program and frequently lectures on children's vision at the national and international levels.

SECO International extends its appreciation to Dr. Steele for his dedication and commitment to optometry. Friends, colleagues and supporters of pediatric or vision therapy optometry may contribute to the Glen T. Steele, OD, and L. Allen Fors, OD, Developmental Vision Endowed Scholarship.

For more information about supporting this worthwhile scholarship fund, please contact SCO's Office of Institutional Advancement at (901) 722-3216.

Many of our patients suffer from bacterial conjunctivitis. We use topical antibiotics to reduce the time of infection, to prevent re-infection, and to stop the spread of infection to others. There are a variety of treatment options available, but wouldn't it be nice to give our patients an opportunity to choose a topical antibiotic with a convenient dosing regimen and a broad spectrum of anti-bacterial activity? One of the newest options, AzaSite™ (azithromycin 1% ophthalmic solution), may provide these advantages. Studies have shown that AzaSite has the ability to penetrate ocular surfaces (eg, conjunctiva, cornea, eyelids) and target the site of infection directly, resulting in high tissue concentrations of azithromycin and a long duration of action.

Pharmacokinetic (PK) studies were conducted in 2007 to evaluate the distribution of azithromycin in the ocular tissue of pigmented rabbits after a single-dose comparison of AzaSite and an aqueous formulation of azithromycin as well as after the multiple-dose approved regimen of AzaSite (1 drop BID for 2 days, then 1 drop QD for 5 days). Tissue samples obtained for concentration measures included: tears, aqueous humor, cornea, conjunctiva, and blood in both studies; eyelid samples were only obtained in the multiple dose study. Although both AzaSite and the aqueous formulation of azithromycin resulted in high exposure of the drug in ocular tissues, AzaSite was quickly distributed across tissues and demonstrated a slower clearance rate than the aqueous formulation following single-dose administration. Increased exposure was observed in the conjunctiva, cornea, and eyelids, with levels persisting 7 days after the last dose in the multiple-dose administration study. Cmax values for the ocular tissues were well above those reported for moxifloxacin, ofloxacin, and gatifloxacin in a rabbit study published in 2005.

High concentration levels of azithromycin delivered directly to the key ocular surface tissues and persisting well after the last dose of the topical antibiotic AzaSite - what does this mean for our patients? There is an effective, convenient, reduced-dosing treatment option for bacterial eye infections that actually continues to the infection site after the therapeutic dosing regimen has been stopped.