ASSESSING PATIENT COMFORT, ANXIETY, AND SATISFACTION DURING CYCLOPLEGIC REFRACTION: COMPARING CONVENTIONAL DROPS WITH RAPID-ONSET CYCLOPLEGICS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71000/w3hv5253Keywords:
Tropicamide, Cyclopentolate, Satisfaction, Refraction.Abstract
To assess the comfort, anxiety, and satisfaction between conventional cycloplegics (e.g., cyclopentolate) and rapid-onset cycloplegics (e.g., tropicamide with phenylephrine) drops during cycloplegic refraction.
Methods
This randomized controlled trial was conducted at Al Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Sukkur, enrolling participants aged 10–20 years selected through simple random sampling. Eligible participants were healthy participants within ±1D refractive error, while those with systemic or ocular pathology were excluded. All underwent cycloplegic refraction assessment and a structured questionnaire on anxiety, discomfort, communication, and overall experience during cycloplegic refraction, using a Likert scale and a Visual Analogue Scale for comfort.
Results
A total of 83 participants were enrolled, with a mean age of 15.54 ± 2.97 years; 49.4% were females and 50.6% males. The Visual Analogue Scale showed higher comfort ratings overall, with 25.3% reporting “Very Comfortable.” Comparison between Cyclopentolate and Tropicamide with phenylephrine groups using the Mann–Whitney U test revealed significant differences in anxiety (p=0.029), relaxation during waiting (p<0.001), concern over duration of effects (p<0.001), immediate discomfort after instillation (p=0.001), light sensitivity (p<0.001), progressive discomfort (p=0.004), perceived procedure less uncomfortable (p<0.001), and overall comfort (p<0.001).
Conclusion
The study concluded that Tropicamide with phenylephrine was associated with greater overall comfort, satisfaction, and tolerance compared to Cyclopentolate, which showed higher levels of anxiety, discomfort, and light sensitivity. No significant differences were observed between the groups regarding reassurance, clarity of explanation, and provider communication during cycloplegic refraction.
Registration No: NCT06914063
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