Evaluation of contact lens education and prevalence of modifiable risk factors for contact lens-related complications in patients presenting with contact lens-related microbial keratitis

Session Details

Session Title: Presented Poster Session: Medical Cornea

Venue: Poster Village: Pod 3

First Author: : M.Anderson UK

Co Author(s): :    A. James   A. Agrawal                    

Abstract Details

Purpose:

Microbial keratitis related to contact lens (CL) use is a common and sight threatening complication with modifiable risk factors. We set out to evaluate the prevalence of behavioural risk factors and contact lens advice given to patients who had experienced a CL related infection.

Setting:

We recruited 100 consecutive patients referred with CL-related keratitis to an acute referral clinic in a tertiary eye hospital in Edinburgh, UK.

Methods:

This is a prospective study of 100 contact lens wearers presenting with CL related keratitis to an emergency eye service. Patients were asked to fill in a questionnaire covering basic demographics, CL type, length of use, previous CL education, hygiene habits, dry eye symptoms and previous eye infections.

Results:

98/100 patients were soft CL wearers, with 34/100 purchasing CLs online. 27/100 reported wearing CLs longer than prescribed. 61/100 reported receiving advice regarding CL usage and hygiene on initial purchase only and none thereafter. 7/100 had not received any CL related advice. CLs (excluding extended wear CLs) were worn for a median duration of 12 hours per day (Range 4.5-18). 27/100 reported swimming in their CLs. Excluding extended wear CL users, 17/84 reported sleeping and 40/84 showering whilst wearing CLs. 18 respondents reported using tap water to clean CLs. 42/100 had experienced at least one previous microbial keratitis requiring treatment.

Conclusions:

Our study highlights that a large proportion of patients undertake activities associated with increased risk of CL-related complications. Regular patient education is therefore essential to reduce CL-related infections and was lacking in a significant proportion of our cohort. Educating prescribers of CLs and opportunistic CL education in clinics is needed to improve patient awareness of risk factors. Purchase of CLs online poses further challenges to patient education and requires combined public health measures which should involve online sellers, community prescribers of CLs and hospital-based approaches.

Financial Disclosure:

None