Abstract
Purpose :
Hypochlorous acid has a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity and exhibits rapid kill kinetics. When used on the skin around the eye, it can reduce the microbial load, helping to support a healthy ocular surface. This study evaluated the change in signs and symptoms associated with ocular surface disease in symptomatic demodex-positive subjects using hypochlorous acid for 30 days.
Methods :
Symptomatic subjects diagnosed with demodex were enrolled in this prospective, observational study and used hypochlorous acid (Avenova, NovaBay) twice daily for 30 days. Symptoms were assessed at baseline, Day 14 and Day 30 using the Ocular Surface Index (OSDI) and Eyelid Inflammation (EIQ) questionnaires. Corneal and conjunctival staining and demodex counts were also collected at each visit.
Results :
Fifteen demodex-positive dry eye subjects were enrolled. The average age of subjects was 66.7 years (range 45-83) and 66.7% were female. On average, subjects reported a 10-point decrease in OSDI score on Day 14 (from 37 to 27) and a further improvement of 5 points on Day 30 (22). A similar response was seen with the EIQ, where subjects showed a 20.5-point decrease over 30 days (from 39 to 18.5). Corneal and conjunctival staining was also reduced over 30 days (from grade 4 to 3 and grade 3 to 1, respectively). Demodex counts were reduced by nearly half over the study period.
Conclusions :
Consistent treatment with hypochlorous acid may improve symptoms for symptomatic dry eye patients. Further studies to confirm the results seen in this small observational study are warranted.
This abstract was presented at the 2019 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Vancouver, Canada, April 28 - May 2, 2019.