Effects of osmoprotective eye drops on tear osmolarity in contact lens wearers.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of osmoprotective eye drops on tear osmolarity and patient comfort, and to compare its efficacy with a commercially available lubricant in contact lens (CL) wearers.

Design: Prospective, cross-sectional study.

Participants: Forty eyes of 20 first-time CL wearers were included.

Methods: Tear osmolarity measurements using TearLab osmolarity system were performed in each eye of subjects at 8 am, and 2, 4, and 8 h after that on the first and second days, and at 12:00 on the third day and eighth days. On the second day and afterward, all eyes were fitted Purevision 2 (Bausch & Lomb) soft CLs. Subjects instilled Optive (Allergan) osmoprotective eye drops into their 1 eye (group 1) and Refresh tears (Allergan) eye drops into their other eyes (group 2) after 2 hours of CL wear on the third day and afterward. Ocular comfort with eye drops was also assessed.

Results: There were no significant differences between the tear osmolarity measurements of the groups on the first day. On the second day, osmolarity significantly increased from baseline after 4 h of CL wear (p < 0.05) but returned to baseline after 8 h of CL wear (p > 0.05) in both groups. Tear osmolarity measurements of group 1 were significantly lower than those of group 2 on the third and eighth days (both p < 0.05). The mean comfort scores were significantly higher in group 1.

Conclusions: Tear osmolarity increases within the first hours of CL wear, and instillation of osmoprotective eye drops prevents this increment in patients wearing CLs.