[Fluctuation of intraocular pressure in 24-hour telemonitoring compared to tonometry during normal office hours].
BACKGROUND
Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is a clinically relevant factor in glaucoma progression. As a dynamic parameter the IOP depends on various internal and exogenic influencing factors. Therefore, we analysed intraindividual IOD variations between ambulant care and 24-h home-monitoring using self-tonometry.


METHODS
This study is based on paper-based glaucoma cards of 25 patients with primary open angle glaucoma. Additionally, all patients participated in a telemedical home-monitoring study with self-measurements of IOP and blood pressure stored in an electronic patient record. The glaucoma cards contained a total number of 409 IOP values with documentation periods from 0.5 to 10 years. In the teletonometry project all 25 patients were observed for 6 months with 1490 recorded IOP values. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS software.


RESULTS
Average IOP values for all 25 glaucoma patients were 16.3 +/- 2.9 mmHg for both eyes in glaucoma card documentation, whereas the electronic patient records showed IOP averages of 18.9 +/- 4.7 mmHg for right eyes and 18.2 +/- 4.4 mmHg for left eyes. Corresponding to the practice opening hours the glaucoma cards contained no IOP records from 12:00 pm to 01:30 pm as well as between 06:00 pm and 07:15 am. In these time periods 17 % of all IOP values recorded in 24-hour teletonometry were higher than 20 mmHg. However, statistical analysis and clinical evaluation of device parameters and measurement characteristics revealed sporadic measuring errors.


CONCLUSIONS
The additional involvement of self-tonometry in telemedical 24-h home-monitoring is a feasible method to record and detect intraday IOP fluctuations. Compared to single IOP measurements documented in common paper-based glaucoma cards, the 24-h electronic patient record showed more frequent circadian IOP variations. As a result, self-tonometry and home-monitoring can be a useful link to fill the gap between singular ambulant IOP measurement and hospitalisation with 24-hour IOP profiles.
Jürgens
C
C
Augenklinik am Universitätsklinikum, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt Universität Greifswald.
Antal
S
S
Henrici
K
K
Grossjohann
R
R
Tost
F H
FH
D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000379:methods*; D009819:Office Visits; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods*; D014065:Tonometry, Ocular / Q000379:methods*