Initial comfort of lotrafilcon A silicone hydrogel contact lenses versus etafilcon A contact lenses for extended wear.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the initial comfort afforded by silicone hydrogel lenses (lotrafilcon A) versus the comfort afforded by conventional hydrogel lenses (etafilcon A) in extended wear (EW).


METHODS
Prospective, double-masked and randomized controlled trial.


METHODS
Lotrafilcon A and etafilcon A contact lenses were eye randomly fitted on an EW basis for 7 days and nights in 20 subjects. A forced-choice subject preference questionnaire was made. Subjects were comfort, dryness, red eye and visual quality after night wear and at the end of the day. Subjective scored satisfaction (scale: 1-5) and lens preference were assessed.


RESULTS
Lotrafilcon A proved more comfortable after night wear (60%, CI95% 38-82%) and at the end of the day (70%, CI95% 49-90%) than etafilcon A after night wear (10%, CI95% 0-23%, P<0.05) and at the end of the day (20%, CI95% 2-38%, P<0.05). The feeling of dryness was more marked with etafilcon A after night wear (50%, CI95% 27-72%) and at the end of the day (50%, CI95% 27-72%) than it was with lotrafilcon A (15%, CI95% 0%-31%) after night wear (P>0.05) and at the end of the day (25%, CI95% 5%-44%, P<0.05). General satisfaction with the lotrafilcon A lens was 3.65 points (CI95% 3-4.2) and with etafilcon A 2.95 points (CI95% 2.5-3.3, P<0.05). Eighty percent (CI95% 62%-98%) of subjects preferred lotrafilcon A (P<0.05) for EW.


CONCLUSIONS
In EW, lotrafilcon A contact lenses were more comfortable and led to less dryness after night wear and at the end of the day than etafilcon A contact lenses.
Martin
Raul
R
IOBA Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Department of Physics TAO, University of Valladolid, C/Ramón y Cajal, 7 E-47005 Valladolid, Spain. raul@ioba.med.uva.es
de Juan
Victoria
V
Rodriguez
Guadalupe
G
Martin
Sofia
S
Fonseca
Soraya
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003262:Contact Lenses, Extended-Wear / Q000592:standards*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D020100:Hydrogels; D008297:Male; D008689:Methacrylates; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000628:therapy*; D012828:Silicones; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity; D005466:Fluorocarbons
D020100:Hydrogels; D008689:Methacrylates; D012828:Silicones; C114176:etafilcon; C481129:lotrafilcon A; D005466:Fluorocarbons