title: Comparison of Eye Drop Instillation Before and After Use of Drop Application Strips in Glaucoma Patients on Chronic Topical Therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact of using drop application strips on eye drop instillation in glaucoma patients on chronic topical ocular hypotensive therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 72 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma with an uncorrected visual acuity of 3/60 or more, self-administering topical antiglaucoma medication for >1 year were evaluated. One eye of each patient was included in the study. Patients were instructed to instill 0.5% carboxymethyl cellulose drop in 1 eye. They were then instructed to instill the same drop using the drop application strips.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age of the patients included in the study was 50.39 ± 12.04 years. Before assistance of drop application strips, 35 (48.61%) patients placed the drop into the eye without any contact of the dropper nozzle, and, after application of the drop application strips, 66 (91.67%) patients placed the drop in the eye without any contact (P=0.025). The number of patients putting the first drop of drug into the eye without spilling over the adenexae increased from 30 (41.67%) to 45 (62.5%) after application of the strip (P<0.001). The mean number of drops instilled to get 1 drop into the eye decreased from 2 ± 0.95 to 1.56 ± 0.78 when the drop application strip was used (P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Use of a drop application strip causes a significant decrease in contact of the eye drop bottle nozzle with the eyeball and eyelid, decreases the number of drops instilled to get 1 drop into the eye, and is associated with an overall improvement in eye drop instillation.
authors.affiliation: Dr Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Reetika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Deepali
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Singhal
authors.forename: Adarsh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shashni
authors.forename: Esha
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.forename: Meenakshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wadhwani
authors.forename: Tanuj
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dada
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004349:Drug Packaging; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012646:Self Administration; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014792:Visual Acuity; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions