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Mydriatic efficacy of a cycloplegic spray in the pediatric population
M D Wesson1, J D Bartlett, J Swiatocha
1School of Optometry, University of Alabama at Birmingham 35254.
Insights
A mydriatic-cycloplegic spray offers comparable efficacy to eyedrops for pediatric eye exams. This spray may provide clinical advantages over traditional eyedrops for children.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Medicine
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Topical eyedrop administration is often challenging in pediatric patients.
- Investigating alternative methods for ophthalmic drug delivery in children is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the mydriatic efficacy of a combination mydriatic-cycloplegic solution administered as a spray compared to eyedrops.
- To determine if spray administration is a viable alternative for pediatric ophthalmic examinations.
Main Methods:
- Prospective, examiner-masked, parallel-group study involving 38 pediatric subjects (6 months-12 years).
- Four administration conditions: eyedrops (closed/open eyes) and spray (closed/open eyes).
- Pupil size was photographed at multiple time points post-administration.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant difference in mydriatic efficacy was found among the four administration methods (p > 0.05).
- Both spray and eyedrop formulations demonstrated comparable pupil dilation results.
Conclusions:
- Mydriatic spray efficacy is comparable to traditional eyedrop instillation.
- Mydriatic sprays present potential clinical benefits for pediatric ophthalmic procedures, improving patient experience.
Background:
The topical administration of eyedrops is often an unpleasant procedure in the pediatric population. We sought to learn whether a combination mydriatic-cycloplegic solution would be an effective mydriatic if applied as a spray.
Methods:
We used a prospective, examiner-masked, parallel-group study design and randomized 38 subjects (age range 6 months-12 years, mean = 7.3 years) into four groups such that the same combination mydriatic-cycloplegic solution was administered under the following conditions: 1) eyedrops to eyes that were closed; 2) eyedrops to eyes that were open; 3) spray to eyes that were closed; 4) spray to eyes that were open. Both eyes of each subject received the solutions administered under one of the four conditions. Photographs were taken of each subject's pupils at times 0, 5, 15, 25, 40, and 55 mins following administration of the medications.
Results:
Repeated measures analysis of variance revealed no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) in mydriatic efficacy among the four methods of drug administration.
Conclusions:
The results of this study suggest that the mydriatic efficacy of a mydriatic-cycloplegic spray is comparable to that associated with eyedrop instillation. Mydriatic sprays may have important clinical advantages over conventional ophthalmic solutions in the pediatric population.