title: Visual acuity after topical application of proparacaine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effect of topical anesthetics on visual acuity (VA).
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 66 consecutive patients (73 afflicted eyes) who presented to a university hospital emergency department with the complaint of eye pain. VA was measured before and after patients were treated with proparacaine, a topical ocular anesthetic.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After proparacaine instillation, VA was improved in 33 patients (45%), unchanged in 34 (47%), and worse in 6 (8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with eye pain often demonstrate improved VA after the instillation of a topical anesthetic.
authors.affiliation: Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, USA.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Bossart
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Stephen
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Herr
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berndt
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002648:Child; D005123:Eye / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011430:Propoxycaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local; C005717:proxymetacaine; D011430:Propoxycaine