Evaluation of clinical outcomes in patients with dry eye disease using lubricant eye drops containing polyethylene glycol or carboxymethylcellulose

Abstract

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to compare changes in corneal staining in patients with dry eye after 6 weeks of treatment with Systane® Gel Drops or Refresh Liquigel® lubricant eye drops.MethodsPatients aged ≥18 years with a sodium fluorescein corneal staining sum score of ≥3 in either eye and best-corrected visual acuity of 0.6 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution or better in each eye who were using a lubricant eye gel or ointment for dry eye were included in this randomized, parallel-group, multicenter, double-blind trial. Patients were randomized to four times daily Systane® Gel Drops (polyethylene glycol 400 0.4% and propylene glycol 0.3%) or Refresh LiquiGel® Drops (carboxymethylcellulose sodium 1%) for 6 weeks. The primary efficacy outcome was mean change from baseline to week 6 in sodium fluorescein corneal staining. Supportive efficacy outcomes included conjunctival staining, tear film break-up time, Patient Global Assessment of Improvement, Impact of Dry Eye on Everyday Life (IDEEL) Treatment Satisfaction/Treatment Bother Questionnaire, Single Symptom Comfort Scale, and Ocular Symptoms Questionnaire. The safety analysis comprised recording of adverse events.ResultsIn total, 147 patients (Systane group, n=73; Refresh group, n=74; mean ± standard deviation age, 57±16 years) were enrolled and included in the safety and efficacy analyses. Corneal staining was significantly reduced from baseline to week 6 for Systane and Refresh (−3.4±2.5 and −2.5±2.6 units, respectively; P<0.0001, t-test), with a significantly greater improvement with Systane versus Refresh (P=0.0294). Results for conjunctival staining, tear film break-up time, and patient-reported outcome questionnaires were not statistically different between groups. No safety issues were identified; adverse events were reported by 19% of patients with Systane and 30% of patients with Refresh eye drops.ConclusionSystane Gel Drops were associated with significantly better corneal staining scores versus Refresh Liquigel eye drops in patients with dry eye. Supportive efficacy outcomes were not significantly different between groups. Both treatments were well tolerated.

Comparative evaluation of efficacy and safety of Carboxymethylcellulose either alone or in combination with Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory drug in the treatment of Dry eye in a Tertiary care Teaching Hospital

“…This improvement in Schirmer's test and TBUT test values is comparable to previous studies. 14,16,18,19 Improvement in OSDI score during the study period is comparable to previous studies. 6,16,20 At 12 weeks, comparison was done between Group I and Group II.…”

“…These adverse effects were comparable to those reported in previous clinical studies. [14][15][16][17][18] …”

3D Bioprinting of Self‐Standing Silk‐Based Bioink

“…The oil-like PEG400 may have provided additional benefits to improve injectability of hydrogel in the printing process. [32] When sonicated silk gel (no PEG) at the same concentration was used in the same printing process, the needle became blocked, confirming the important role of PEG400 in making silk hydrogel highly printable. Interesting, a recently published paper reported that the presence of PEG segments on silk ionomer surfaces (silk-poly-l-lysine-PEG or silk-poly-l-glutamic acid-PEG) increased the friction coefficient of the surface when compared to the control surface in the absence of PEG, likely due to the interactions of the overlapped swollen and loopy PEG segments and shearing of asperities of PEG-modified surfaces that increased adhesive forces and shear strength.…”

Neck Pain and Disability: Eye Drop Installation Technique As A Causative Factor

“…Neck pain can also arise from chronic instillation of eye drops in a wrong position; yet chronic eye drop administration can be necessary for some eye diseases frequently seen in the course of rheumatic diseases. 30 Therefore, this problem is not only associated with primary eye diseases, but can also be related to rheumatic diseases. These patients should be instructed by clinicians about the correct position of the neck, such as avoiding the hyperextension position while instilling eye drops.…”