The validity of this screening is comparable to that of other school screenings. The limitations are predictable. Consideration should be given to replacing visual acuity tests with a rapid, objective measure of refractive error and ocular alignment.

The majority of visual impairment found in Brantford was due to uncorrected refractive error. Factors that increased the prevalence of visual impairment were the same for distance and near visual acuity measurements.

In asymptomatic patients, comprehensive routine optometric eye examinations detect a significant number of new eye conditions and/or result in management changes. The number detected increases with age and assessment interval.

Calls for both patient-centered care and evidence-based practice (EBP) have increased dramatically over the last decade despite a tension between the two. Patient preferences, one of the cornerstones of EBP, can provide the link between the two. Although current research supports the added value of patient preferences in care, there is currently a "gap" between EBP and patient-centered care, with the two often viewed as opposing ideas. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of patient preferences, summarize research on patient preferences, and discuss implications for nursing and nursing administration. Efforts to incorporate patient preferences into nursing care must be multifaceted, targeting multiple levels from individual nurses to organizations and systems. Four critical elements have been identified for integrating patient preferences into EBP: (1) health care redesign, (2) decision support, (3) empowered organizational culture, and (4) informed and empowered nurses.

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A gram-variable pleomorphic bacillus was isolated from the reproductive tracts of 4 mares during routine prebreeding soundness examinations. Using a commercial bacterial identification system, these organisms were identified as Streptococcus acidominimus. However, colonial and Gram-staining characteristics did not support this identification. Subsequent testing indicated the organism was similar to Gardnerella vaginalis. Additional growth and biochemical analysis performed in our laboratory and at the Michigan Department of Public Health and by the Center for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia, confirmed the identification of G. vaginalis.

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