SIGNIFICANCE:
Disinfecting care system must be used with planned replacement soft contact lenses (CL) to keep the ocular surface and CL healthy and free of infections. Despite the positive effect of the CL care products, they could produce corneal epithelium punctuate staining which is known as SICS (solution induced corneal staining) when combined with soft lenses. SICS may have a negative impact on the ocular surface, increasing the risk of corneal inflammation by three times, increasing the risk of corneal erosion due to a poor surface wettability, and decreasing the CL wear comfort which is the primary reason for CL discontinuation.

PURPOSE:
The greatest extent of SICS was found when biguanide-based solutions are used such as polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride (PHMB) and polyaminopropyl biguanide (PAPB). This study was conducted to determine if rinsing the CL with preservative free saline prior insertion would minimise the percentage of SICS induced by the PHMB-based solution and improve the subjective symptoms.

METHODS:
50 habitual soft contact lens wearers were recruited in this interventional study. Subjects were asked to attend the optometry clinic two times. A new pair of hydrogel lenses (45% Bioxifilcon B and 55% H₂O) was fitted each time. The CLs were soaked overnight in NEOPLUS® (PHMB-based multi-purpose solution). In one of the two visits, the CLs were rinsed with non-preserved saline prior insertion. The corneal staining, ocular redness and subjective symptoms including discomfort, photophobia, dryness, burning and stinging were assessed prior CL wear and after 2 hours of CL wear, knowing that SICS is more evident after 2-4 hours of CL wear.

RESULTS:
The percentage of corneal staining increased significantly (P≤0.050) after soaking the lenses with PHMB based solution (86.2%) when compared to baseline. SICS was decreased significantly (P≤ 0.050) after rinsing the lenses with non-preserved saline prior insertion (56.6%) when compared to the other regime. Ocular redness evaluation showed a significant increase (P≤0.050) in limbal hyperemia after the use of both regimes. The subjective assessment analysis showed a significant change in comfort, dryness, photophobia and scratchiness (P≥0.050) at 2-hours intervention when PHMB based solution was used, while a significant improvement in comfort, burning and stinging (P≤0.050) was noticed when the lenses were rinsed with saline prior insertion when compared to the other regime..

CONCLUSIONNS:
The combination of Bioxifilcon-B hydrogel contact lenses and solution containing PHMB disinfectants induced a significant increase in corneal staining and triggered a significant change in subjective symptoms after 2 hours of CL wear. Rinsing the CL with saline exhibited a lower level of induced SICS and an improvement in subjective symptoms.

عنوان المؤتمر

3rd World Council of Optometry Congress

دولة المؤتمر

الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية

تاريخ المؤتمر

23 أكتوبر، 2019 - 27 أكتوبر، 2019

راعي المؤتمر

World Council of optometry