RESUMEN
PURPOSE: To evaluate and compare postoperative pain following photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in patients using a preventive regimen of oral versus topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective, randomized, longitudinal survey of postoperative PRK pain was performed on 157 subjects in a tertiary academic medical center setting. Patients were randomized to either topical ketorolac 0.4% every 12 hours or oral naproxen sodium 220 mg every 12 hours for 72 hours following PRK, beginning at the time of surgery. The primary outcome measure was the daily peak pain score from the validated numerical rating scale (NRS) for five days after surgery. RESULTS: The peak pain scores were significantly higher in the oral NSAID group (mean 5.82, SD 1.94) compared to the topical NSAID group (mean 4.2, SD 2.19) (p<0.0001) after PRK. When comparing each postoperative day after PRK, the pain scores from 24 to 48 hours (day 2) were significantly higher in the oral NSAID group (mean 5.17, SD 2.25) as compared to the topical NSAID group (mean 3.21, SD 2.09) (p<0.0001). Pain scores 24-72 hours after surgery (days 2 and 3) were higher than pain scores on days 1, 4, and 5 for both groups. CONCLUSION: Twice daily oral naproxen sodium 220 mg is inferior to twice daily topical ketorolac 0.4% in the treatment of early postoperative pain after PRK. This study also identified a consistent trend in which pain scores were highest 24-72 hours after the procedure. This additional observation may be useful in understanding, preventing, and treating post-PRK pain.
RESUMEN
PURPOSE: Autologous serum tears (AST) contain growth factors and vitamins similar to those in healthy tears and are an effective treatment option for ocular surface disease. This study determined the differences in composition of AST in patients with systemic diseases versus patients with localized ocular surface diseases and the effects on ocular surface symptom improvement. METHOD: An observational study was performed on 53 patients with either systemic diseases (Group I) or localized ocular surface diseases (Group II) who were prescribed AST. Concentrations of epidermal growth factor (EGF), interleukin 8 (IL-8), fibronectin, vitamin A, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were determined through ELISA assays from patients in both groups. The Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) scores were calculated prior to and 6 weeks after initiation of treatment with AST for new patients. RESULTS: The average concentration of EGF in Group I (29.39 pg/ml ± 52.85 pg/ml) was significantly lower than in Group II (88.04 pg/ml ±113.75 pg/ml) (p < 0.05). Levels of fibronectin, IL-8, and vitamin A were similar in both groups. There was a 24% reduction in OSDI score 6 weeks after initiation in Group I compared to a 36% reduction reported in Group II (p = 0.065). The OSDI score was reduced significantly after the treatment in all subjects (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Serum tears are a promising therapy for management of ocular surface disease and associated symptoms. The differences between levels of EGF in patients with localized ocular surface disease and systemic inflammatory disease may account for differences in therapeutic outcome.
