Pushpendra Singh, an optometrist and an educator, begins by establishing the expectations of a contact lens wearer. We learn that to ensure, the best wear experience, one needs to focus on the care and maintenance of a contact. When a contact lens is used it comes in contact with ocular deposits, micro-organisms and debris.
These issues can be managed using a multi-function system. We learn the customer and practitioner point of view of a multi-function system. The multi-function lens care system involves 5 actions. The most important action is probably the anti-microbial activity. The three antimicrobial terms are:
- Sterilization
- Preservation
- Disinfection
Mr. Singh, discusses the commonly used disinfections used in the lens care solution and helps us understand the disinfection standards used globally. We review the the FDA and ISO testing standards for contact lens solutions.
- Stand alone test
- Regimen test
Scientific data suggests that rubbing and rinsing step is crucial in effective care of contact lenses. We learn in depth the difference between the multi-purpose solution (MPS) and multi-purpose disinfection solution (MPDS). Next, Mr. Singh elaborates on how the real world scenario changes the efficacy of contact lens solution, especially in case of acanthamoeba.
Lens cases are much neglected part of the contact lens care system and pratitioners need to pay more attention to them. He provides us with a list of scientifically proven recommendations for the proper care of contact lens cases. We also learn the pneumonic ‘CRADLE’ to make contact lens care easy for patients.
Lastly, we learn the importance of handwashing before handling contact lenses and research shows very few people are compliant with this requirement. We end with some very important take home message. This is followed by a Q and A session with the live audience.
References
Papers
Zhu H, Bandara MB, Vijay AK, Masoudi S, Wu D, Willcox MD. Importance of rub and rinse in use of multipurpose contact lens solution. Optom Vis Sci. 2011 Aug;88(8):967-72.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21623253/
Dantam J, McCanna DJ, Subbaraman LN, Papinski D, Lakkis C, Mirza A, Berntsen DA, Morgan P, Nichols JJ, Jones LW; Performance of Contact Lens Solutions Study Group. Microbial Contamination of Contact Lens Storage Cases During Daily Wear Use. Optom Vis Sci. 2016 Aug;93(8):925-32.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27254809/
Wu YT, Zhu H, Willcox M, Stapleton F. Impact of air-drying lens cases in various locations and positions. Optom Vis Sci. 2010 Jul;87(7):465-8.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20453695/
Contzen N, De Pasquale S, Mosler HJ. Over-Reporting in Handwashing Self-Reports: Potential Explanatory Factors and Alternative Measurements. PLoS One. 2015 Aug 24;10(8):e0136445.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26301781/
Borchgrevink CP, Cha J, Kim S. Hand washing practices in a college town environment. J Environ Health. 2013 Apr;75(8):18-24. PMID: 23621052.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23621052/
Fonn D, Jones L. Hand hygiene is linked to microbial keratitis and corneal inflammatory events. Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2019 Apr;42(2):132-135.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30413375/
Editorials
Seeing is Believing: Eye-Popping Photos Show Why Good Contact Lens Hygiene is Essential – Centre for Ocular Research & Education.
End-of-day contact lens discomfort may have a chemical cause.