Preservative-free Eye Drops Research Articles

Preliminary results of a study of the follow-up of nine glaucomatous patients treated with preservative-free eye drops.

The toxic effect of antiglaucomatous eyedrops without preservative agents on the eye surface is well documented in the literature. More recently, attention has turned to the study of the local effects of the chronic instillation of preservative-free eye drops in prolonged topical treatments. The aim of this research was to identify and evaluate tear secretion changes and cytological modifications of the bulbar conjunctiva correlated with them, induced by the instillation of eye drops based on timolol maleate 0.25%, 2 drops daily, with no preservative in their pharmaceutical formulation.

Beeinflussung der Tränenfilmaufreißzeit (BUT) durch Betablocker-Augentropfen ohne Konservierungsstoffe

Traditional beta-blocking eye drops preserved with benzalkonium chloride show an adverse effect on the precorneal tear film, which can be measured by checking the break-up-time (BUT). To decide, whether this adverse effect is caused more by the beta-blocking drug or the preservative, we tested the influence of timolol eye drops without preservative in single dose units Timosine) on the BUT in a prospective, open study. These eyedrops caused no significant shortening of the BUT in persons, which where untreated before. Patients using preserved beta-blocking eye drops and having irritations of their eyes showed significant prolongation of the BUT after changing the therapy to Timosine. Preservative-free beta-blocking eye drops are a real improvement in the therapy of glaucoma patients with irritated eyes.