Long-term Use of Autologous Serum 50% Eye Drops for the Treatment of Dry Eye Disease
As we continue through a rough winter and cold temperatures in most of the US, we must remember how our dry eye disease (DED) patients must be struggling. With their heaters tucked below the desk and the fire places roaring, low humidity is an evil companion with hyperosmolarity; and it often helps to consider treatments that are not available over-the-counter or even with a script. An interesting study titled: “Long-term use of autologous serum 50% eye drops for the treatment of dry eye disease” published in Cornea Dec. 2014 by Hussain et al looked at the outcomes of 50% autologous serum (AS) eye drops after long-term use in a large cohort of patients with dry eyes. They performed a retrospective cohort study on all patients treated with 50% AS eye drops at their institution over approximately 54 months which included 123 eyes of 63 patients. Ocular surface evaluation included Schirmer testing with topical anesthesia, fluorescein staining, and ocular surface disease index (OSDI). The review covered the initial visit, 1 month, and every 3 to 6 months during treatment with AS.
Improvements were noted in corneal fluorescein staining, Schirmer scores, and OSDI. The other key point is, no complications were noted!
Click here to read the full abstract.