Share the SECO 2007 experience with a friend! Invite a fellow optometrist to SECO 2007 and you could receive a $50 American Express gift card! Simply use the Invite-A-Friend feature at the conclusion of the online registration process to identify up to five fellow optometrists that have not attended a SECO in five years. Each successful referral will potentially earn a $50 gift card for the referrer.

Who can refer?

Licensed optometrists who register for the SECO 2007 continuing education program may refer licensed optometrist colleagues to register to attend the SECO 2007 education program.

Who can be referred?

Qualified referral candidates must be optometrists licensed in the United States that have not attended the SECO education program for a period of five years or greater (since SECO International 2001).

What's the incentive?

Referring optometrists may receive a $50 American Express gift card for each qualified optometrist referral that registers for SECO 2007 and does not cancel their registration. Referrers will be notified of their claim by e-mail prior to the congress. Referrers may pick up their gift cards at the Welcome Center during SECO 2007.

If you have questions about the Invite a Friend program, please contact the Registration Department at 770-452-0600 or registration@secostaff.com. See www.seco2007.com for terms and conditions.

SECO 2007 has so much to offer, why wait until February to visit the exhibitors of Optometry's Marketplace™? Stop by the Exhibits page at www.seco2007.com and visit the Virtual Exhibit Hall. Here you will be able to locate company and contact information for each SECO exhibitor and conveniently link to their websites. The category menu will allow you to narrow your search by choosing your desired exhibitor field. The Virtual Exhibit Hall is a great way to prepare for SECO 2007. Don't let the show hours restrict your shopping. Visit the Virtual Exhibit Hall in the morning while you prepare for your SECO 2007 classes. Using this helpful tool will allow you to make the most out of your time at SECO International 2007, The Education Destination™.

Paul Karpecki, OD, FAAO
Director of Research, Moyes Eye Clinic, Kansas City, MO

With spring allergy season only a few months away, we need to be prepared for patients presenting with acute symptoms of seasonal allergies. These symptoms include itching, redness, and lid swelling. However, over 80% of patients state that itchy eyes are their most bothersome symptom.

Elestat® (epinastine HCl 0.05%), a rapid and potent H1 antagonist with mast cell stabilizing and anti-inflammatory properties, is our newest option for providing these patients with symptom relief.

In our society, people want immediate results in every aspect of their lives and Elestat® is able to provide patients with relief in minutes. In a pivotal phase 3 clinical trial, Elestat® showed rapid efficacy in a conjunctival allergen challenge model, within 3 minutes of contact with the allergen†. This type of study measures the ability of a single dose of drug to prevent an allergic reaction provoked by the manual application of a high concentration of allergen directly on the ocular surface. Ocular itching was assessed 3, 5, and 10 minutes after allergen challenge; other ocular symptoms were evaluated at 5, 10, and 20 minutes. Elestat®-treated eyes had significantly less itching, hyperemia, and eyelid swelling compared with vehicle-treated eyes at all time points (P < .001). When compared with the level of symptoms seen after allergen challenge in the absence of any drug (similar to the natural situation), Elestat® reduced itching by 81%, hyperemia by 41%, and lid swelling by 72%.

References
† Abelson MB, Gomes PG, Crampton HJ, Schiffman RM, Bradford RR, Whitcup SM. Efficacy and tolerability of ophthalmic epinastine assessed using the conjunctival antigen challenge model inpatients with a history of allergic conjunctivitis. Clin Ther 2004;26:35-47.