Conditions: Pain
Keywords: pain discomfort anesthetic drugs topical drug administration injections, intraocular lidocaine intraocular pressure keratopathy
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Enrollment: 53
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
Patient comfort during and after eye injections will be compared after two numbing (anesthetic) protocols, an eye preparation utilizing three cotton swabs soaked in 4% lidocaine drops versus a preparation using 3.5% lidocaine hydrochloride ophthalmic gel.

Detailed description:
The primary goal of this investigation is to determine the relative comfort of an intravitreal injection (same day and the next day) after a preparation utilizing three cotton swabs soaked in 4% lidocaine versus a preparation using 3.5% lidocaine hydrochloride ophthalmic gel. Based on the available data, the researchers contend that a preparation based on viscous 3.5% ophthalmic lidocaine gel, which coats the surface and remains in contact with the eye longer, may provide greater anesthesia and result in greater patient comfort than the topical 4% lidocaine, which is part of the standard preparation routinely utilized in the ophthalmology department currently. Secondary outcome measure is the intraocular pressure rise after the injection, and the authors will generate prospective data to study whether softening the eye with cotton swabs prior to the injection lowers post-injection pressure spike.

Arms:
arm 1: Eyes were anesthetized with 0.5% proparacaine and then with three cotton swabs soaked in 4% liquid lidocaine applied with moderate pressure to the site of the injection inferotemporally to the limbus. Each participant was assigned to have this prep during one of the consecutive study visits if unilateral or in one eye if patient requires bilateral injections given the same day arm 2: Eye was anesthetized with 0.5% proparacaine and then with 3.5% ophthalmic lidocaine gel applied to the surface of the eye. Each participant was randomly assigned to receive this preparation during one of two consecutive intravitreal injection (if unilateral disease) or in one eye if requiring bilateral injections given on the same day.

Interventions: intervention 1: 4% lidocaine intervention 2: 3.5% ophthalmic lidocaine gel
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: The eye will be topically anesthetized with 0.5% proparacaine drops and 4% lidocaine drops and a 10% povidone-iodine scrub of the lids and lashes will be performed. A sterile speculum will be placed between the lids. Five percent povidone-iodine drops will then be applied over the ocular surface followed in three rounds by additional 5% povidone iodine and a sterile cotton swab soaked in sterile 4% lidocaine applied with gentle pressure to the area designated for injection in the infero-temporal quadrant. intervention 2: The eye will be topically anesthetized with 0.5% proparacaine drops and 5% povidone iodine will be placed over the eye. Two drops of preservative-free 3.5% lidocaine hydrochloride ophthalmic gel will be placed into inferior conjunctival sac. The patient will be asked to close the eye for 7 minutes. Next, a 10% povidone-iodine scrub of the lids and lashes will be performed. A sterile speculum will be placed between the lids. Five percent povidone-iodine drops will then be applied over the ocular surface and allowed to remain in contact with the eye for at least 2 minutes. The eye will then be rinsed with antibiotic drops.

Protocol document: