A Comparative Study of Effectiveness of Carboxymethyl Cellulose 0.5% Versus Polyethylene Glycol 0.4% and Propylene Glycol 0.3% in Dry Eye Patients – An Observational Study

Objectives: The study aimed to assess the comparative efficacy of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) 0.5% versus a combination of polyethylene glycol (PEG) 0.4% and propylene glycol (PG) 0.3% in managing dry eye disease among patients. Methods: A prospective observational study involved the recruitment of 60 patients based on predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The majority of patients were enrolled from the outpatient department of the ophthalmology department of a tertiary care hospital in Salem. Within-group changes were assessed using Cochran’s Q test with exact McNemar post hoc comparisons. Between-group comparisons were performed using Fisher’s exact test. Effect sizes were reported as risk differences with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and Cohen’s h. Bonferroni correction was applied. Results: All 60 participants (30 per treatment group) had complete symptom observations at baseline, week 1, week 2, and month 1. Each symptom was recorded as absent (0) or present (1). Irritation decreased from 76.7% to 13.3% in the CMC group and from 70.0% to 13.3% in the PEG+PG group (adjusted p<0.001 for both). Discomfort also decreased significantly in both groups (adjusted p<0.001). Grittiness declined from 36.7% to 3.3% with CMC and from 33.3% to 10.0% with PEG+PG (adjusted p=0.001 and p=0.015, respectively). At month 1, no significant between-group differences were detected (all adjusted p=1.000). Risk differences were 0.0% for irritation and discomfort (95% CI −18.2% to 18.2; h=0.000), −6.7% for grittiness (95% CI −22.5–8.2; h=−0.276), and 0.0% for blurred vision and eye pain (95% CI −11.4–11.4; h=0.000). Conclusion: Both treatment groups showed reductions in several dry-eye symptoms during 1 month of follow-up.