Effectiveness of patching and non-patching in treatment of corneal abrasion: A comparative study

Abstract

The aim was to compare the effectiveness between patching and non-patching in the treatment of non-infected, non-contact lens related traumatic corneal abrasions, as well as of abrasions following foreign body removal. A prospective, controlled, randomized study on 100 patients over 1 year who presented with ocular pain, with a history of trauma or foreign body removal & had corneal abrasion on fluorescein stain. Patients were randomized into two groups: with patch group (receiving an eye patch with topical antibiotics) and no patch group (topical antibiotics with no eye patch) and patients were followed up. Patients with corneal abrasions healed significantly faster and relieved symptomatically in the no patch group. We conclude that routine use of eye patching is not effective in the healing of simple corneal abrasion.