Comparison Of Superficial Punctate Keratitis Induced By Fluorocaine And Flurate.

This study was conducted to compare the corneal epithelial toxicity affects of two topical anesthetic-fluorescein combinations commonly used for Goldmann applanation tonometry, Fluorocaine (proparacaine hydrochloride 0.5% with sodium fluorescein 0.25%) and Flurate (benoxinate hydrochloride 0.4% with sodium fluorescein 0.25%). A double blind study was conducted in which the bottles of anestheticfluorescein
were disguised with label A (Flurate) and label B (Fluorocaine) both of which were unknown to the examiner and to the patient. One drop of Flurate went to one eye and one drop of Fluorocaine went to the other eye prior to performing Goldmann tonometry. Both eyes then received one drop of 1% tropicamide and 2.5% phenylephrine. Later, both eyes were observed by a second clinician to determine the amount of SPK
produced in each eye. The results were recorded as well as which drops went to which
eye and tabulated to compare the effects of each combination anesthetic in 60 patients.
This experiment showed that proparacaine 0.5% combined with 0.25% sodium
fluorescein showed a slightly greater toxic epithelial effect than 0.4% benoxinate combined with 0.25% sodium fluorescein.