Visual Acuity After Topical Application of Proparacaine, ,

Study objective: To determine the effect of topical anesthetics on visual acuity (VA). Methods: We studied 66 consecutive patients (73 afflicted eyes) who presented to a university hospital emergency department with the complaint of eye pain. VA was measured before and after patients were treated with proparacaine, a topical ocular anesthetic. Results: After proparacaine instillation, VA was improved in 33 patients (45%), unchanged in 34 (47%), and worse in 6 (8%). Conclusion: Patients with eye pain often demonstrate improved VA after the instillation of a topical anesthetic. [Bossart PJ, Stephen RL, Herr RD, Berndt D: Visual acuity after topical application of proparacaine. Ann Emerg Med January 1997;29:158-160.]