Drug-Induced Ocular Side Effects (eighth edition) is the latest edition of a popular ocular toxicology manual by Frederick T Fraunfelder, professor emeritus at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) and founder of the National Registry of Drug-Induced Ocular Side Effects; and Frederick W Fraunfelder Jr, professor of ophthalmology at the Missouri University School of Medicine. This best-selling text, written by global experts, provides vital need-to-know information on a broad range of ocular toxicology topics, starting from the pharmacology of ocular drug delivery to up-to-date information on recent oncolytic medications.
As with previous editions, the chapters are arranged logically by either drug type or the target system, eg. oncolytics vs cardiac, vascular and renal drugs. A further, very helpful feature is the index of side effects at the back of the manual, where medications are arranged by the ocular side effect(s) they induce, with a note under each side effect classifying them as certain, probable or possible. I found this especially useful when cross-referencing a patient’s clinical presentation with their current list of medications. Furthermore, as a clinician recently required to sit an ocular pharmacology examination, the layout of this text was self-explanatory and made locating medications of interest very straightforward during the period of preparation.
At the end of each chapter, the authors provide references for each of the featured medications under individual sub-headings, making it an excellent resource for identifying further reading material. The broad range of medications referenced will also appeal to a range of clinicians from ophthalmologists to optometrists, general physicians and medical subspecialists, including oncologists.
The text is complemented by high-quality images to illustrate drug-induced ocular toxicity, including colour photographs of the eye and adnexa, fundus, anterior and posterior segment optical coherence tomography and fluorescein angiograms. Images are accompanied by clear labelling and concise captions.
Published by Elsevier, the manual is also available as an e-book, accessible through multiple smart devices on the Inkling app. This is especially helpful in a busy clinical setting when reviewing a patient for possible drug-induced ocular side effects. Images in the e-book adapt well, with many of the colour photos appearing brighter and more detailed.
