Does Topical Ophthalmic Anesthetic Prior to Probing and Irrigation Decrease Pain?
Status:
Recruiting
Trial end date:
2022-03-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Purpose: It is unknown whether instillation of a drop of anesthetic ophthalmic solution into
the eye such as proparacaine hydrochloride 0.5% prior to probing and irrigation of the tear
duct (lacrimal drainage) system improves participant comfort during the procedure. To date,
there have been no formal studies evaluating the possible benefit of this pretreatment.
Methods: Participants 18 years and older who present to the William Beaumont Hospital - Royal
Oak, Michigan outpatient ophthalmology clinic with a chief complaint of epiphora (excessive
tearing) who necessitate bilateral lower lid probing and irrigation of the lacrimal drainage
system will be enrolled in the study. One eye will be randomized to receive a drop of the
anesthetic Proparacaine hydrochloride 0.5% and the other eye will receive a control drop of
Balanced Salt Solution (BSS). Probing and irrigation will then be performed in the usual
fashion. The participant will then be questioned via survey on a pain scale of 1-5 as to the
amount of subjective pain experienced on each side during the procedure.
Expected Results: Investigators expect participants will experience statistically
significantly less pain in eyes that have received a drop of Proparacaine hydrochloride 0.5%
prior to performance of probing and irrigation compared to the eyes which have received the
control drop.