Evaluation of Pollen Adhesion to Verofilcon-A Soft Contact Lenses

Purpose: A new 1-day disposable soft contact lens (SCL), verofilcon-A, constructed of silicone hydrogel material, has recently become available in Japan. This SCL has a very smooth surface produced by using the SMARTSURFACE ® Technology, and it was expected that pollen particles and protein components would not adhere easily to its surface. We examined the degree of pollen adhesion to the surface of the verofilcon-A material SCL and compared the results with those of other 1-day disposable SCLs (1DSCL). Methods: To determine the number of pollen grains attached to the surface of different types of SCLs, 0.01 mg/ml of cedar pollen solution was dropped onto the surface of 13 types of 1DSCL. After 24 h, each 1DSCL was rinsed in a shaker and washed five times with saline (n = 10 for each 1DSCL type). The number of pollen particles adhered to the 1DSCL and the percentage of surface area occupied by pollen was determined. Results: The number of pollen particles on the 1DSCLs ranged from 0 to 185 in the 200 × 200 µm area. The number of particles was lowest in the delefilcon-A and verofilcon-A SCLs with 0 particles, and the number was higher in the other 11 1DSCLs. The number of pollen particles was negatively correlated with the water content (r = −0.48), oxygen permeability (Dk; r = −0.43), oxygen transmissibility (r = −0.42), and center thickness (r = −0.33) of the 1DSCLs. The pollen adhesion area ranged from 0.0% to 3.1% and was lowest in the delefilcon-A and verofilcon-A 1DSCLs. There were significant differences in the pollen adhesion area between colored 1DSCLs (2.73 ± 1.97%) and clear 1DSCLs (1.03 ± 1.01%, P<0.001) and between hydroxyethyl methacrylate-based 1DSCLs (1.84 ± 1.45%) and silicone hydrogel-based 1DSCLs (0.05 ± 0.16%, P<0.001). Conclusion: These findings indicate that the verofilcon-A 1DSCL processed with SMARTSURFACE™ Technology is an excellent option for SCL users with allergic conjunctivitis during the high pollen season.

Acanthoamoeba Keratitis Induced by a Therapeutic, Soft Contact Lens: Diagnosis via Gram Staining

Purpose: We report two cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis diagnosed by Gram staining in patients who had recently worn therapeutic, soft contact lenses and had no history of lens use for visual correction.Case summary: The first patient was initially diagnosed with suspected mixed bacterial or fungal keratitis before a final diagnosis of Acanthamoeba keratitis was confirmed by Gram staining of a corneal smear. The second patient was initially diagnosed with a persistent epithelial defect caused by an earlier lid injury inflicted by a metallic foreign body, and then with a suspected mixed infection combined with herpetic uveitis. The patient was finally diagnosed with Acanthamoeba keratitis by Gram staining of a corneal smear. Both cases were treated with polyhexamethylene biguanide and chlorhexidine.Conclusions: Therapeutic, soft contact lenses are used to enhance corneal, epithelial wound healing in conjunction with antimicrobial prophylaxis. However, application of such a lens to a diseased cornea may predispose to the development of microbial keratitis caused by microorganisms resistant to the usual, prophylactic, antimicrobial eye drops. Therapeutic, soft contact lenses are associated with a risk of Acanthamoeba keratitis; early diagnosis is important. Gram staining of a corneal smear is useful in this context. Acanthamoeba is not eradicated by empirical broad-spectrum antimicrobials.

Perception of Soft Contact Lens Usage Among Health Sciences and Bussiness Management Students

Contact lens complications were mainly caused by improper contact lens hygiene and maintenance. The awareness and education on contact lens care can enhance the positive attitude of the wearers, especially among university students. This study investigated and compared the perceptions of contact lens use and care among university students of different backgrounds. A cross-sectional survey was carried out of 142 university students aged 20 to 25 who wore spectacles or contact lenses. The Perception and Practice of Contact Lens Use Questionnaire was distributed to the participants via an online platform. The perception of contact lens use as an optical device between spectacle and contact lens wearers among health sciences and business management students was statistically significant (p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the perception of contact lens awareness of soft contact lens wearers between health sciences and business management students (p>0.05). Results indicated that both groups agreed contact lens complications had the most significant impact on perceptions of contact lens use, followed by the perception in general and cost. Regardless of educational field background, whether health science or business, all contact lens wearers have the same behavioural assessment of contact lens awareness. It is unaffected by the nature of one's education. Hence, it is essential to avoid any problems that can threaten eye health regarding contact lens usage. Proper guidelines and awareness of contact lens use through physician-provided education will help to protect public health. Nonetheless, this study has limitations where the data regarding the refractive error, contact lens type, and method of purchasing contact lenses were not collected. Investigation on the perception of contact lens use in multiracial settings should be considered for a comprehensive approach. This research is believed to contribute to behavioural science knowledge and practice as the conducted behavioural assessment experienced by most university students. Keywords: behaviour, contact lens usage, knowledge, awareness. eISSN: 2398-4287© 2021. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians/Africans/Arabians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v6i18.3058

Safe Contact Lens Practices during Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic

World is threatened by different variants of Coronavirus to an extent that life has been jeopardized in all services including eye care facility. Contact lenses which are one of the preferred modes of vision correction are not an exception to COVID-19 infection. Recently there is confusion among practitioners and patients regarding the safety of contact lens use during COVID-19. This review article summarizes the current recommendations and findings regarding contact lens use during COVID-19. Though eye health professionals and contact lens users are at risk to contract Coronavirus, with proper care, maintenance and disinfection techniques, it would be safe to continue wearing contact lenses. There is currently no strong evidence to suggest that contact lenses are not safe to wear during COVID 19 times. Eye care practitioners responsible for contact lens application must wear special surgical masks, protective glasses or visors and disposable waterproof gloves. Regarding soft contact lenses, preferably daily disposable lenses should be used from the sterile packages. Similarly for rigid gas permeable lenses, lenses made up of fluoropolymer contained in sealed packages must be motivated for the individuals. Since the infected hands can bring the virus to the eyes, contact lens users should avoid touching the nose, mouth and eye unnecessarily. Contact lens after each use must be disinfected with hydrogen peroxide solutions with a special catalyst container. In the case of eye redness and Flu like symptoms, contact lens trial and wearing practices should be suspended or postpone till the condition becomes normal. To minimize the contact time between the patient and examiner soft copy of the instruction sheet, teleconsultation should be motivated. Though the eye is an unlikely site for Coronavirus infection, eye doctors should warn the contact lens wearers to follow scrupulous contact lens hygiene rules.