Abstract
Purpose:
To review how many patients with glaucoma are using artificial tears as a chronic treatment.
Methods:
A retrospective clinical study was performed to review clinical records from patients with diagnosis of glaucoma, between January 2012 to November 2012. From each record, the follow data were evaluated: sex, age, glaucoma topical treatment and if the patient need to use artificial tears (at lease for 6 months). Also, a sub-group was performed to review the number of patients who have been operated (trabeculectomy) and how many of them are using artificial tears.
Results:
From a total of 3272 clinical records, 167 (334 eyes) were from patients with diagnosis of glaucoma (with topical eye drops for glaucoma); 127 (254 eyes) were treated with glaucoma eye drops and also artificial tears. The mean age from the patients were 63,8 yrs with female prevalence (women: 112; men:55). A total of 15 patients (23 eyes) underwent to trabeculectomy and all of them need to use artificial tears; however, only one patient (2 eyes) still need to use glaucoma eye drops.
Conclusions:
Most of the patients (76%) with glaucoma are also using artificial tears as a chronic treatment. This increase the real cost of glaucoma treatment and remark the relevance to develop new therapeutics for glaucoma. However, after trabeculectomy, patients are still using artificial tears moreover than they don't need to use glaucoma eye drops.
Keywords: 460 clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: health care delivery/economics/manpower •
486 cornea: tears/tear film/dry eye •
573 keratitis