Evaluation of Corneal Staining and Patient Preference With Use of Three Multi-Purpose Solutions and Two Brands of Soft Contact Lenses

PURPOSE: Clinical signs and symptoms vary depending on contact lens brand, lens care products, or a combination of the two. Studies evaluated corneal staining and subject preference associated with three multipurpose solutions (MPS) and two soft contact lens brands. METHODS: Two sites conducted the randomized, investigator-masked, 2-month crossover studies. Forty-five subjects used regimen 1 (No Rub Opti-Free Express MPS [Alcon, Fort Worth, TX]) and regimen 2 (Complete MPS [Allergan, Irvine, CA]) for 1 month each (study 1). In study 2, 44 subjects used regimen 1 and regimen 3 (ReNu MultiPlus MPS [Bausch & Lomb, Rochester, NY]). ACUVUE 2 (Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Jacksonville, FL) or SofLens 66 (Bausch & Lomb) lenses were randomly assigned to subjects for the duration of the study. Corneal staining was evaluated on days 0 (baseline), 7, 14, and 28 of each month. RESULTS: Corneal staining was significantly worse with regimen 3 for both lens brands at day 28 compared with baseline (P < 0.01). Significant differences in staining were noted between regimens 1 and 3 throughout the study, primarily with SofLens 66 lenses (P </= 0.0002). No consistent changes in staining were noted with regimens 1 and 2. Also, significantly more subjects preferred the comfort of regimen 1 (61.8%) to that of regimen 3 (11.8%). More subjects preferred the comfort of regimen 1 (57.1%) to that of regimen 3 (10.7%) compared with their prestudy regimen. CONCLUSION: These studies showed that chemical variations between lens care systems and their interaction with contact lens materials create significant clinical, physiologic, and subjective preference differences.