A Comparative Investigation Between The Standard Schirmer I Test And The Modified Schirmer I Test.

Tthe Schirmer I Test measures the
quantity of the tearfilm. But more specifically, it is
a measurement of the basal secretions of the aqueous layer.
The test consists of suspending a strip of filter paper
from the lower tempcral culdesac. However, one drop of
anesthetic is first placed in the culdesac to eliminate
reflex tearing. After five minutes, the amount of paper
moistened by the tears is measured. The accepted value
for diagnosing a dry eye patient is less than 10 mm
moistened after five minutes of instillation. However,
many practitioners find it impractical to wait five
minutes before measuring. Therefore, a shorter version
was devised. The shorter version consists of allowing
the paper to moisten for only one minute, after which
time, the measurement is taken and then multiplied by three.
It is the purpose of this investigation to determine
whether this shorter version of the Schirmer I Test is
indeed as accurate as the standard Schirmer I Test.