Abstract

PURPOSE:

To evaluate subjective symptoms and clinical signs in silicone hydrogel contact lens wearers with three different multipurpose solution (MPS) lens care regimens.

METHODS:

In a double-masked, randomized, concurrently controlled study, 233 subjects from 12 clinical sites wore one of two silicone hydrogel lens brands (ACUVUE Advance or Focus NIGHT & DAY) for 1 month on a daily-wear basis supported by a new reconditioning multipurpose disinfecting solution (MPDS) preserved with POLYQUAD and ALDOX, regimen 1 (OPTI-FREE RepleniSH Multi-Purpose Disinfecting Solution), or by one of two MPSs preserved with polyhexamethyl biguanide, regimen 2 (ReNu MultiPlus Multi-Purpose Solution No Rub Formula) or regimen 3 (Complete MoisturePLUS Multi-Purpose Solution).

RESULTS:

Significant differences in favor of regimen 1 were found in subjective responses of subjects wearing ACUVUE Advance lenses. For Focus NIGHT & DAY lens wearers, regimen 1 was associated with significantly less corneal staining (severity [P=0.0019], area [P=0.0077]) than regimen 2 was. The average number of times per day that rewetting drops were used was significantly higher for subjects randomized to regimen 3 than for subjects using regimen 1.

CONCLUSIONS:

The clinical performance of the new MPDS product with silicone hydrogel lenses was generally as good as or better than the two comparative polyhexamethyl biguanide-preserved MPSs. Clinical differences were evident between the products. Practitioners should be aware that MPS product choice for use with silicone hydrogel lenses may lead to different clinical outcomes, particularly in regard to stress on the ocular surface, as evidenced by the corneal staining response.