Survey effective in identifying factors associated with corneal inflammatory events

DENVER – A survey that assesses contact lens care and use was able to identify routine behaviors and environmental exposures that led to corneal inflammatory events, according to a presenter here at the American Academy of Optometry meeting.

Kathyrn Richdale, OD, PhD, FAAO, conducted a multicenter, prospective, single-visit, case control study with colleagues as part of the Contact Lens Assessment in Youth (CLAY) study.

Researchers utilized the CLAY Contact Lens Risk Survey (CLRS) to determine risk factors in patients who wore contact lenses and presented with asymptomatic corneal inflammatory events (CIEs), Richdale explained.

"The CLAY CLRS tool is a self-administered, electronic survey," Richdale said. "It asks questions about a patient's demographics, how they routinely wear and care for their contact lenses and environmental exposures that they might have."

Patients also underwent an examination and provided a scripted history.

The study involved 30 cases as well as 90 controls, Richdale detailed.

"With this relatively small pilot study, we were able to demonstrate that the CLRS is a systematic way to capture routine patient behaviors and environmental exposures that were directly linked to the risk of having a corneal infiltrative event," Richdale said.

"We believe that this could be a tool that could be used in the general practitioner's office at an annual exam to be able to quickly identify individual patient's unique risk factors and provide targeted patient education," she continued.

Richdale also acknowledged limitations to the study, such as the small sample size, and disclosed that the group is moving toward a prospective, broad analysis. – by Chelsea Frajerman

Disclosures: This research was supported by an unrestricted grant from Alcon, a Chancellors Research and Development Grant from Nova Southeastern University and a Health Professions Division Research Grant.