Which retinoscopy technique is performed with the patient at near fixation and is commonly used to estimate refractive error without cycloplegia?

Which retinoscopy technique is performed with the patient at near fixation and is commonly used to estimate refractive error without cycloplegia?

• A. MEM
• B. Mohindra
• C. Static retinoscopy
• D. Nott's method

Answer: (B)

Estimating refractive error without cycloplegia in children is often done with a near-fixation retinoscopy approach called the Mohindra technique. In this method, the child looks at a near target at about 50 cm while you perform retinoscopy in a dim room. The key step is accounting for the working distance: because you’re so close (50 cm), you must subtract roughly 2.00 diopters from the retinoscopy reading to convert it into an estimate of the far refractive error. This simple correction, plus the near fixation setup, allows a quick, noncycloplegic estimate of refractive error that’s well tolerated by young patients. Static retinoscopy, by contrast, is usually done with the patient looking at a distant target and often under cycloplegia for accuracy in kids. Nott’s method is a dynamic retinoscopy technique used to assess refractive astigmatism and other factors in a different way than the Mohindra near-fixation approach. MEM is another noncycloplegic near-vision technique, but the classic near-fixation, fixed-working-distance method described here is specifically Mohindra.

Estimating refractive error without cycloplegia in children is often done with a near-fixation retinoscopy approach called the Mohindra technique. In this method, the child looks at a near target at about 50 cm while you perform retinoscopy in a dim room. The key step is accounting for the working distance: because you’re so close (50 cm), you must subtract roughly 2.00 diopters from the retinoscopy reading to convert it into an estimate of the far refractive error. This simple correction, plus the near fixation setup, allows a quick, noncycloplegic estimate of refractive error that’s well tolerated by young patients.

Static retinoscopy, by contrast, is usually done with the patient looking at a distant target and often under cycloplegia for accuracy in kids. Nott’s method is a dynamic retinoscopy technique used to assess refractive astigmatism and other factors in a different way than the Mohindra near-fixation approach. MEM is another noncycloplegic near-vision technique, but the classic near-fixation, fixed-working-distance method described here is specifically Mohindra.