Polyacrylic acid gel in patients with dry eyes: a randomised comparison with polyvinyl alcohol.

PURPOSE: To compare the safety and efficacy of polyacrylic acid 0.2% (PAA) gel and polyvinylalcohol 1.4% (PVA) in the treatment of patients with dry eyes. METHODS: Eighty-nine patients with dry eyes were randomly allocated to treatment with either PAA (48) or PVA (41) in a prospective, investigator-masked study in two centres. The parameters assessed were daily frequency of instillation of the study medications, ocular signs and symptoms, tear film break up time, Schirmer's test values, local tolerance and global assessment of the improvement following treatment. RESULTS: The two groups were similar in patient demographics and study parameters at baseline. The total score of symptoms (gritty or foreign body sensation, burning sensation, dry eye sensation, photophobia, others) and signs (conjunctival hyperaemia, ciliary injection, corneal and conjunctival epithelial staining) was reduced significantly more by treatment with PAA than with PVA at both three and six weeks (p < 0.0001). The daily frequency of instillation of PAA was significantly less than that PVA on 38 of the 41 (93%) study days. Both PAA and PVA were safe and equally well-tolerated except for blurred vision, usually mild and transient, on PAA. On global assessment of the improvement in their dry eye condition, significantly more PAA patients felt better on treatment at six (p = 0.02) weeks compared with those on PVA. CONCLUSIONS: Polyacrylic acid gel was as safe as and more effective than polyvinylalcohol in the treatment of patients with dry eyes.

A comparison of two ophthalmic steroid-antibiotic combinations after cataract surgery.

We performed this prospective, randomised, investigator-masked, parallel-group study to compare Fluorometholone-Gentamicin eye drops with Maxitrol (dexamethasone, neomycin, polymyxin B) eye drops in the reduction of ocular bacterial flora and control of ocular inflammation after cataract surgery. One hundred and twelve (FML-Genta 54, Maxitrol 58) patients of both sexes undergoing cataract and posterior chamber lens implant surgery for visually disabling cataract were enrolled in the study and examined pre-operatively and post-operatively on days 1, 6-8 and 24-34. The baseline parameters were similar in the two study groups. The conjunctival bacterial colony count on day 6-8 post-operatively was significantly less on FML-Genta compared with Maxitrol (p = 0.033). There was no statistically significant difference between the two treatments in the degree of intra-ocular inflammation as assessed by flare and cells in the anterior chamber. Both treatments were judged to be equal in the global assessment of the success of therapy and local tolerance by the study patients and doctors. Fluorometholone-gentamicin eye drops were more effective than Maxitrol eye drops in the reduction of ocular bacterial flora while being as well-tolerated and as effective as Maxitrol in the control of ocular inflammation after cataract surgery.

Ophthalmic fluorometholone-gentamicin versus ophthalmic betamethasone-gentamicin following cataract surgery.

A prospective, randomised, investigator-masked, parallel-group study was performed to compare fluorometholone-gentamicin eye drops and ointment with betamethasone-gentamicin eyedrops and ointment in the control of ocular inflammation after cataract surgery. Seventy patients (35 in each treatment group) of both sexes undergoing cataract-lens implant surgery for visually disabling cataract were enrolled in the study. The demographic and baseline parameters on day I, the day after surgery, were similar in the two study groups. After treatment, on day 3 and day 6 post-operatively, the reduction in cells in the anterior chamber and conjunctival hyperaemia were similar in the two study groups. Both treatments were equally well-tolerated. Ophthalmic fluorometholone-gentamicin was as effective as ophthalmic betamethasone-gentamicin in the control of ocular inflammation after cataract surgery.

Clinical evaluation of automated refraction in anterior chamber pseudophakia.

Automated refraction with the Canon RK-1 Autoref keratometer was evaluated in 85 eyes of 85 patients with an anterior chamber intraocular lens implant and a best corrected visual acuity of at least 6/12. Autorefraction readings were obtained in 80 (94%) of these eyes. The agreement between autorefraction and clinical refraction data was 89% for spherical equivalence less than 0.51 dioptres (D), 91% for sphere power less than 0.51 D, 82% for cylinder power less than 0.51 D, and 91% for cylinder axis less than 11 degrees. Autorefraction provides acceptably accurate postoperative refraction values in anterior chamber pseudophakia.