Visual acuity after topical application of proparacaine.
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.
Bossart
P J
PJ
Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, USA.
Stephen
R L
RL
Herr
R D
RD
Berndt
D
D
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*
D000779:Anesthetics, Local; C005717:proxymetacaine; D011430:Propoxycaine