Efficacy of an eye drop mixture for pupillary dilatation: A randomized comparative study.
OBJECTIVE
Pupillary dilatation with three types of eye drops is used regularly in the clinic; however, a mixture of these drops in a single bottle may be more beneficial in reducing workloads and resources. This study compared the efficacy in pupillary dilatation between two protocols of dilating drop instillation.


METHODS
This prospective, randomized, comparative study included 30 eligible Thai patients. The patients randomly received preoperative pupillary dilatations by either the conventional protocol (1% tropicamide (T), 10% phenylephrine (P) and 0.1% diclofenac (D) in three separate bottles) or the fixed combination (TPD) protocol which had the three types of eye drops mixed in a single bottle in a ratio of 4:3:3. The chi-square test and independent t-test were used to analyze the data.


RESULTS
The conventional protocol group and TPD protocol group each had 15 patients. Sixty minutes after the initial instillation, all patients in the TPD protocol and 13 patients (86.7%) in conventional protocol achieved at least 6mm in the shortest diameter. The mydriatic rate between protocols showed no difference. In patients who received the TPD protocol, the systemic effects on the mean arterial blood pressure and pulse rate decreased over time.


CONCLUSIONS
The mixture of tropicamide, phenylephrine and diclofenac had a comparable efficacy for a pupillary dilatation to the conventional dilating drops in separate bottles. The systemic complications on blood pressure and arterial pulse of the TPD mixture were less than the conventional protocol.


BACKGROUND
TCTR20130325001.
Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand. Electronic address: patama103@yahoo.com.au.
Patama
P
Bhurayanontachai
Songklanagarind Hospital, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand.
Suwapat
S
Saengkaew
Songklanagarind Hospital, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand.
Penjamaporn
P
Apiromruck
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D004008:Diclofenac / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009184:Mydriatics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011680:Pupil / Q000187:drug effects*; D014331:Tropicamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D055815:Young Adult
D004338:Drug Combinations; D009184:Mydriatics; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D004008:Diclofenac; D010656:Phenylephrine; D014331:Tropicamide
Diclofenac; Diclofenaco; Dilatación de la pupila; Fenilefrina; Midriático; Mydriatic; Phenylephrine; Pupillary dilatation; Tropicamida; Tropicamide