ABSTRACT
Objective:
To determine the degree of difficulty for topical ocular instillation in the elderly, through a questionnaire, with or without the aid of facial support device. Observe which method was technically better to topical ocular application of drops.
Methods:
The study was a clinical trial, controlled, randomized and paired, which was conducted in 50 elderly patients from September 2015 to June 2016 at the Polyclinic Ronaldo Gazolla, Lapa, Rio de Janeiro. A Optive® eyedrop bottle was attached to a facial support device called Eyedrop®. Each participant instilled an eye drop with or without the device help in each of both eyes, wherein the eye selection was made randomly. He was asked to answer pre-formulated questions about the difficulty of both methods and the topical ocular administration technique was evaluated.
Results:
Eye drop instillation was difficult or very difficult for 10% of the elderly with the device aid and for 36% without it (p = 0.0047). There were bottle tip touch onto the ocular tissues in 64% of patients who did not use Eyedrop® and 4% who used it (p = 0.000001). The greatest difficulty described in traditional instillation was to head properly the eye drop (32%) and when the support device was used, it was to understand how to use it (4%).
Conclusion:
Most elderly instills eye drops mistakenly, touching the tip of the bottle onto ocular tissues, which favors contamination. The facial support device increased security and facility in instillation.
Keywords:
Administration, topical; Ophthalmic solutions/administration & dosage; Lubricants; Eye/drug effects
