Assessment of risk factors on eye dryness in young adults using visual display device in both contact lens wearers and non-wearers.

PURPOSE: Researchers are interested in examining the impact of visual display devices (VDDs) on the development of dry eye illness because their use is becoming more common among college students. The goal of this study was to see if there was a link between certain risk factors and the development of eye dryness in VDDs using young adults who wore contact lenses and those who did not. METHODS: The self-administrated survey was hosted in Google Forms, sent via e-mail to the participants. It consisted of two parts of assessing different risk factors (i.e., environmental conditions, angle of gaze, and years of VDD use) with contact lens use and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire. The OSDI scores of the entire sample who suffer from dry eye and the subgroup using contact lenses were calculated. The relationship between different risk factors with the OSDI scores was also assessed. RESULTS: A total of 274 young adults from college students and academic staff (216 female, 58 male) were suffering from eye dryness. Eighty-eight of the 274 participants wore contact lenses. The mean OSDI scores of the 274 young adults were 32.92. Mean OSDI scores in contact lens wearers and non-wearers were 34.36 and 32.24, respectively (p < 0.01). There was a statistically significant relationship between OSDI score and indoor environmental conditions in computer using VDD group. Using a computer in a dark environment and above the line of sight resulted in a higher OSDI scores. Females who wore contact lenses while using a computer for more than three years had significantly higher OSDI scores than non-wearer females. Tablet type VDD use increased the mean ODSI scores of the contact lens wearers significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Dry eye symptoms were shown to be increased in the contact lens wearer group with the increased duration of computer VDD use, decreased indoor environmental brightness conditions, and above the line of sight.

Adolescents' Usage and Attitude Toward Contact Lenses: A Descriptive Study In Saudi Arabia.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to explore adolescents' (11-20 years) usage of, beliefs in, attitudes toward, and barriers to contact lens use in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. METHOD: The study recruited 1252 healthy participants from 20 highly populated schools. The schools were selected at random from middle and high schools in Riyadh. A self-administered contact lens questionnaire was used directed towards glasses usage and contact lens knowledge, usage, attitudes, and barriers. RESULT: A total of 726 of the 1252 participants had refractive errors, and 47% of those wore glasses. The proportion of non-compliance was 24%. One of the main reasons of non-compliance was cosmetic appearance (26%). Fewer than 10% were offered contact lenses for refractive error correction. One hundred and fifty-nine participants used contact lenses, and most obtained them without proper professional consultation. About 90% of contact lens-wearing participants did not sleep with the lenses and about 50% had no complications wearing them. CONCLUSION: The percentage of contact lens users was relatively low. A substantial number of older adolescents and females were found to wear contact lenses, although without proper professional consultation. Knowledge of and attitudes toward contact lenses among adolescents were in acceptable levels. These results gave indications that contact lens usage in adolescents can be achievable and valuable for refractive error correction, especially for those who are non-compliant with glasses.

Etiological and Clinical Features of Contact Lens-Associated Microbial Keratitis.

Objectives: To determine the demographic, etiological, microbiological, and clinical characteristics and present treatment results of contact lens (CL)-associated microbial keratitis (CLAMK). Materials and Methods: Medical records of patients who were followed in our clinic for CLAMK between January 2014 and May 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Demographic characteristics, symptom duration, CL and usage characteristics, risk factors, isolated microorganisms, lesion characteristics, hospital stay, recovery and follow-up times, and best corrected visual acuities (BCVA) at first and last examination were recorded. Results: The 22 patients (16 females, 6 males; 22 eyes) had a mean follow-up time of 13.0±18.3 months and mean age of 26.9±14.3 years. Most of the female patients (13/16) were under 35 years old. At least one risk factor associated with improper CL usage was identified in 21 patients (95.4%). The most common risk factor was sleeping with CL (n=15, 68.1%). Causative microorganisms were detected on microbiological examination in 15 cases (68.1%). The most common microorganism was Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n=8). Causative pathogens were sensitive at rates of 84.2%, 95% and 94.7% to combined vancomycin/amikacin, combined vancomycin/ceftazidime, and moxifloxacin, respectively. Mean BCVA was 0.9±1.1 logMAR in the first examination and increased to 0.59±1.1 at last examination (p=0.006). There was a negative correlation between BCVA at presentation and length of hospital stay (p=0.014). Conclusion: Mistakes in CL use are a frequent predisposing factor in patients with CLAMK. Informing CL users in detail about CL usage and cleaning may reduce the frequency of these mistakes and thus infections. Current antibiotic options that should be preferred in empirical treatment remain largely effective against likely pathogens. Favorable visual outcomes can be obtained in most cases with detailed diagnostic examination and appropriate treatment approaches.

Resolution of Acanthamoeba Keratitis with Adjunctive Use of Oral Miltefosine.

Purpose: To report a series of cases demonstrating the resolution of Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) with adjunctive use of oral miltefosine.Methods: Retrospective case series.Results: The first case was a 27-year-old female who presented with severe pain and photophobia. The diagnosis of AK was made with confocal microscopy, which revealed a significant burden of stromal cysts. After approximately 2 weeks of adjunctive oral miltefosine therapy, there was a severe inflammatory response within the cornea followed by quick resolution of the AK. The second case was a 31-year-old male in whom the diagnosis of AK was confirmed by culture and polymerase chain reaction. Adjunctive oral miltefosine was started 3 months after presentation, leading to a quick resolution.Conclusions: Oral miltefosine may have cysticidal properties and should be considered as adjunctive therapy for the treatment of AK, particularly in cases with a significant burden of cysts or in cases recalcitrant to other treatments.

Increasing incidence of Acanthamoeba keratitis in a large tertiary ophthalmology department from year 1994 to 2018.

PURPOSE: Acanthamoeba (AA) keratitis is a rare and severe infection with poor prognosis. The aim was to investigate the incidence and risk factors of AA keratitis in a large tertiary ophthalmology department in Denmark. METHODS: A search was performed in our electronic patient records by the keywords: 'PHMB/polyhexanid', 'Brolene' or 'amoeba and chlorhexidine' from year 1994 to 2018, and afterwards medical records were reviewed. A total of 65 cases of AA keratitis were hereby identified. RESULTS: Patients were relatively young, median (range) age of 38 (15-70) years. A significant increase of diagnosing AA keratitis occurred from 0.13 cases per million per year in the first 5 years to 2.7 cases per million per year the last 5 years. Eighty-nine per cent of patients were contact lens users, and 49% had received corticosteroids before the diagnosis was established. Severe pain was present in 34% of patients. Prognosis was poor with final visual acuity of logMAR (mean, 95% CI) 0.30 (0.18-0.41), 18% had transplantation à chaud, and 2% were enucleated. CONCLUSION: The study indicates that the incidence of AA keratitis is increasing, also in Denmark. Most patients were young contact lens users. The course of the disease is long and often painful, and the prognosis is poor despite relevant treatment.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of contact lens use in a South African adolescent population.

BACKGROUND: Contact lens usage is becoming increasingly popular amongst young people. Assessing their knowledge, attitudes and practices in relation to contact lens wear is therefore important, so that gaps in understanding or incorrect practices can be rectified to promote continued safety and success of contact lens wear. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess and describe the knowledge, attitudes and practices of contact lens wearers aged 18 to 30 years, in the greater Durban area of South Africa. METHODS: A semi-structured questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practice of the participants. Results: Two hundred and forty six participants completed the survey. Young contact lens wearers in this sample generally had poor knowledge with regards to appropriate hygiene and contact lens wear complications. Despite wearers exhibiting a positive attitude with satisfactory hand hygiene and lens cleaning practices, important aspects such as lens case hygiene, storage and lens removal practices were found to be unsatisfactory. Compliance with after-care visits was also unsatisfactory. CONCLUSION: There is a need for contact lens practitioners to educate young contact lens wearers regarding appropriate contact lens-related care, to promote long term ocular health and contact lens-related safety.

Use and misuse of cosmetic contact lenses among US adolescents in Southeast Texas.

BACKGROUND: Cosmetic contact lenses (CCL) are popular among adolescents, but incorrect use can harm the eye. METHODS: This study assessed CCL hygiene behaviors among adolescents attending a Texas pediatric clinic. Anonymous surveys about CCL hygiene practices were administered to adolescents 13-18 years old. RESULTS: We found that 14% (53/392) of respondents had worn CCL, of which 83% were females. Over 70% reported first use at <15 years old. Knowledge about CCL was low and two-thirds of users had not been instructed on proper care. More than half stored them in water and did not rinse them with contact solution after removal. Over one-third wore CCL >8 hours/day. Moreover, 15% of CCL users reported borrowing someone else's CCL. Complications resulting from wearing CCL were common. CONCLUSION: This study highlights poor CCL hygiene among adolescents. These data demonstrate the need to develop interventions to educate adolescents on proper care and risks associated with CCLs.

Comparative Analysis of Tear Film Levels of Inflammatory Mediators in Contact Lens Users.

PURPOSE: To compare tear films levels of various inflammatory cytokines in asymptomatic contact lens (CL) users. CL users of rigid gas-permeable CLs (RGPCL) (group 1) or silicone hydrogel CLs (SiHCL) (group 2) were compared with non-CL-using healthy subjects (group 3). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tear samples were collected from subjects in each group after ensuring that there were no complications secondary to CL wear in the CL-wearing participants. Tear-film levels of interleukins (ILs)-1ß, -6, and -8; granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) (using the Luminex method); and leukotriene B4 (LTB4) (using the ELISA method) were determined. Cytokine levels were compared among the three groups using analysis-of-variance (ANOVA) and Kruskall-Wallis tests. RESULTS: There were significant differences in concentrations of IL-1ß, GM-CSF and LTB4 among the three groups (p = 0.002, p = 0.021 and p = 0.009, respectively), as shown by the Kruskall-Wallis test comparing all three groups for the three cytokines. There were no significant differences for IL-6 and IL-8 (p = 0.079 and 0.094, respectively) when all three groups were compared. CONCLUSIONS: There were substantial statistically significant differences between RGPCL users, SiHCL users and control subjects in levels of tear film cytokines. Although CL users were asymptomatic, changes in tear-film levels of several important inflammatory mediators revealed that a chronic inflammatory process occurs during CL wear.