Systane® Ultra Lubricant Eye Drops for Treatment of Contact Lens–Related Dryness

• Published in: Eye & contact lens Vol. 40; no. 2; pp. 106 - 110
• Main Authors: McDonald, Marguerite, Schachet, John L, Lievens, Christopher W, Kern, Jami R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists, Inc 01-03-2014
• Subjects: Adult; Analysis of Variance; Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic - adverse effects; Disposable Equipment; Dry Eye Syndromes - drug therapy; Dry Eye Syndromes - etiology; Female; Humans; Lubricants - administration & dosage; Male; Ophthalmic Solutions - administration & dosage; Patient Satisfaction; Prospective Studies; Visual Acuity; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1542-2321; 1542-233X
• DOI: 10.1097/ICL.0000000000000018

OBJECTIVES:To assess the clinical performance of Systane Ultra lubricant eye drops in daily disposable soft contact lens wearers who experience contact lens–related dryness.
METHODS:In this randomized, investigator-masked study, daily disposable lens wearers with symptoms of dryness were randomized to use Systane Ultra lubricant eye drops or to no treatment. The lubricant regimen was applied twice a day, 10 minutes before lens insertion and after lens removal, for the 2-week study period. Subjective comfort, wear time, and visual acuity were assessed at baseline and after 2 weeks.
RESULTS:A total of 89 daily disposable lens wearers were randomly assigned to the Systane Ultra group (n=44) or the control group (n=45). Two weeks of Systane Ultra lubricant eye drop use resulted in a significant increase in comfortable lens wear time when compared with baseline assessment (P=0.001) and a trend toward significant improvement compared with the control group (P=0.078). End-of-the-day comfort was significantly improved in the Systane Ultra group compared with the control group (P=0.007). A significant reduction in the overall dryness (P<0.001) and end-of-day dryness (P=0.047) was observed in subjects using the Systane Ultra lubricant eye drops compared with the control group.
CONCLUSION:The study demonstrates that Systane Ultra lubricant eye drops applied before and after contact lens wear is an effective artificial tear for alleviating symptoms of contact lens–related dry eye.