Purpose
Synthetic materials have been widely used in different fields of Medicine since the mid-90s, such as silicone. Silicon probes have been used for intubation of the lacrimal pathway from 1967 until today due to its specific characteristics such as flexibility and good tolerability. During the intubation procedure, it is important to use lubricants to facilitate its passage and do not harm the tissues. However, the choice of the material used as a lubricant has been made on an empirical basis depending on availability or standardization of the different services. The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of six different types of lubricants in the vertical traction resistance of silicone tubes.
Methods
Mechanical characterization test conducted by traction methodology to determinate the rupture of silicone tubes used for probing the lacrimal system. Six groups of seven samples each were exposed to different lubricants: Cylocort®, Epitezan®, Labcaína®, Liposic®, Maxinom® and Vista gel® (Table 1). One group was not exposed to any lubricant and was characterized as the control group. The tubes remained for two hours in contact with lubricants at room temperature without exposure to sunlight before the experimental.
Results
The mean values (+/- SD) of rupture strain were: control = 8.51 ± 0.60 N/mm2; group 1 (Cylocort®) = 8.93 ± 1.22 N/mm2; group 2 (Epitezan®) = 8.4 ± 1.20 N/mm2; group 3 (Lidocaine®) = 8.34 ± 0.71 N/mm2; group 4 (Liposic®) = 9.62 ± 1.26 N/mm2; group 5 (Maxinom®) = 8.43 ± 1.09 N/mm2 and group 6 (Vista Gel®) = 7.81 ± 0.51 N/mm2 (Graph 1). There was an increase in mechanical strength with statistically significant difference (p <0.05) between the control group and the group 4 (Liposic®). The lubricant used in group 6 (Vista Gel®) caused a decrease in the value of the rupture of the silicone tube when compared to the control group (P<0,05). The other lubricants tested caused no statistically significant change in the tensile strength of the silicone tubes.
Conclusions
There may be better to prefer the products that showed no modifications or better results when compared to the control group to lubricate the tube during intubation of the lacrimal system in order to avoid complications such as rupture of the probe. However, to state this with certainty further clinical studies are needed.
Keywords: 503 drug toxicity/drug effects •
637 pathology: experimental •
468 clinical research methodology