Repeatability of ocular blood flow pneumotonometry.
OBJECTIVE
To establish the repeatability of ocular blood flow (OBF) pneumotonometry and its agreement with Goldmann tonometry.


METHODS
Instrument evaluation study.


METHODS
Ten female healthcare professionals.


METHODS
Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured by one experienced ophthalmologist in both eyes of 10 healthy female subjects on 10 different occasions at the same time of day. The two methods were performed by alternate allocation, and laterality was chosen by random order. Repeatability coefficients and agreement plots were calculated by using the Bland-Altman method.


METHODS
Intraocular pressure repeatability coefficients.


RESULTS
Mean IOPs were 15.6 mmHg (right) and 15.1 mmHg (left) by OBF pneumotonometry and 12.6 mmHg (right) and 12.4 mmHg (left) by Goldmann tonometry (P < 0.001). The repeatability coefficients were 7.06 (right) and 7.66 (left) for the OBF pneumotonometer and 4.81 (right) and 3.87 (left) for the Goldmann tonometer. With regard to agreement, the OBF pneumotonometer read significantly higher than did the Goldmann tonometer. The mean bias for the right eye was 2.92 (95% limits of agreement, -4.37 to 10.20), and for the left eye it was 2.68 (95% limits of agreement, -3.93 to 9.28).


CONCLUSIONS
In our group of healthy females, the repeatability of the OBF pneumotonometer was worse than that of the Goldmann tonometer. This casts doubt on the value of the OBF pneumotonometer as a tool for measuring IOP. The agreement plots indicate that the OBF pneumotonometer may produce significant numbers of false-positive results in screening programs.
Bhan
Archana
A
Division of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, England. abhan9@hotmail.com
Bhargava
Jonathan
J
Vernon
Stephen A
SA
Armstrong
Sarah
S
Bhan
Kanchan
K
Tong
Louis
L
Sung
Velota
V
D000328:Adult; D005123:Eye / Q000098:blood supply*; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014065:Tonometry, Ocular / Q000592:standards*