Background

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Since the time when our department's paper [1] was published about the potential incidence of dry eye problems in relation to operating room environments, the thought process has been in the need for further clinical research investigation. To gauge the potential of our operating room environments possibly affecting the eyes of our operating room personnel, it becomes more worthwhile to investigate especially when there is growing concerns about how the general population (in multi-million numbers [2]) has been unknowingly using their contact lenses inappropriately, how often they are abandoning their contact lens use completely and what the reasons are for abandoning contact lenses' use [3-10]. Considering the high incidence of symptoms of eye discomfort among operating room personnel [11], it is time to investigate whether the abandonment of contact lenses' use is associated with working in the operating room environments which per the guidelines of American Institute of Architects, have to maintain higher air changes per hour in the colder and dryer operating rooms as compared to the other hospital rooms [1]. Additionally, the contact lenses themselves may interfere with the hydration and oxygenation of the users' eyes [12-13].

Aims and Objectives

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The purpose of this envisaged questionnaire study can be to ascertain whether our operating rooms environments associate with personnel's contact lenses' abandonment in our hospitals.

Methods

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Inclusion Criteria

1. All operating room personnel who all regularly stay inside operating rooms for extended periods of time like anesthesiology residents, certified registered nurse anesthetists, surgical techs acting as "scrub" and registered nurses acting as circulators
2. All preoperative holding area registered nurses who do NOT work inside operating rooms can act as controls for the abovementioned operating room personnel group

 

After Institutional Review Board approval for questionnaire study with WAIVED CONSENT, all anesthesiology residents, certified registered nurse anesthetists, surgical techs acting as "scrub" inside operating rooms, and registered nurses acting as circulators inside operating rooms (as study subjects) and correspondingly, all preoperative holding registered nurses who do NOT work inside operating rooms (as control subjects) can be assessed for the following: age, sex, years of working in operating rooms, current or past use of contact lenses for refraction errors, current or past use of glasses for refraction errors, change in preference (if any) for contact lenses vs. glasses since started working in the operating rooms, and reason for the change in preference (if any).

Statistical Analysis and Sample Size

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The proportions can be compared with Chi Square test (Fisher Exact Tests) while means can be compared with analysis of variance with p-value < 0.05 being significant. 

Envisaged Data Sheet

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Date

Personnel S. No.

Age

Sex

Years of working inside the operating rooms                 &nbs p;      

(Note: Personnel Responding "0 years" Act As Controls)

Do you use contact lenses for refraction errors? Yes/No/Not Applicable

Were you ever using contact lenses for refraction errors? Yes/No/Not Applicable

Do you use glasses for refraction errors? Yes/No/Not Applicable

Were you ever using glasses for refraction errors? Yes/No/Not Applicable

Did your preference (use of contact lenses vs. use of glasses) changed since working in operating rooms? Yes/No/Not Applicable

What do you prefer while you have been working in operating rooms? Contact Lenses/Glasses/Either/Not Applicable      

What did you prefer when you weren't working in operating rooms? Contact Lenses/Glasses/Either/Not Applicable      

If preference changed, why did your preference change? Dry Eyes/Irritation/Inflammation/Infections/Prescription Changed/Others(Free Text)

References

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1. McPherson P, Daryanani M, Gupta D, Orlewicz M. Googles Eye Shield & Evaporative Dry Eye. WebmedCentral ANAESTHESIA 2010;1(10):WMC00910 http://www.webmedcentral.com/article_view/910 Accessed August 24, 2018.
2. https://www.cdc.gov/contactlenses/fast-fact s.html Accessed August 24, 2018.
3. Collier R. Calculating risk in use of disposable contact lenses. CMAJ?: Canadian Medical Association Journal. 2012;184(6):E297-E298. http://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.109-4117 Accessed August 24, 2018.
4. Witold Tarkowski, Joanna Moneta-Wielgo?, and Daniel M?ocicki, “Demodex sp. as a Potential Cause of the Abandonment of Soft Contact Lenses by Their Existing Users,” BioMed Research International, vol. 2015, Article ID 259109, 7 pages, 2015. http://doi.org/10.1155/2015/259109 Accessed August 24, 2018.
5. Morjaria Rupal, Crombie Richard, Patel Amit. Retained contact lenses BMJ 2017; 358 :j2783. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j2783 Accessed August 24, 2018.
6. https://www.h ealio.com/optometry/contact-lenses-eye-wear/news/online/%7B1daa1198-7a01-4275-abdf-c8cf8583719f%7D/p resbyopes-abandon-contact-lens-wear-for-reasons-other-than-dryness Accessed August 24, 2018.
7. http://www.eyehealthweb.com/uncomfo rtable-contact-lenses/ Accessed August 24, 2018.
8. http://www. optometricmanagement.com/issues/2003/march-2003/dry-eye-contact-lenses Accessed August 24, 2018.
9. http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/831580/contact-lens-lenses-sight-vision-loss-blindne ss Accessed August 24, 2018.
10. ht tp://nypost.com/2017/07/17/woman-had-no-idea-she-had-27-contact-lenses-stuck-to-her-eye/ Accessed August 24, 2018.
11. Fenga C, Aragona P, Cacciola A, Ferreri F, Spatari G, Stilo A, Spinella R, Germanò D. Ocular discomfort and conjunctival alterations in operating room workers. A single-institution pilot study. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2001 Mar;74(2):123-8. https://link.springer.com/con tent/pdf/10.1007/s004200000203.pdf Accessed August 24, 2018.
12. National Research Council (US) Working Group on Contact Lens Use Under Adverse Conditions; Ebert Flattau P, editor. Considerations in Contact Lens Use Under Adverse Conditions: Proceedings of a Symposium. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1991. Tear Evaporation Considerations and Contact Lens Wear. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK234103/ Accessed August 24, 2018.
13. http://www.clspectrum.com/issues/2009/july-2009/what-influences-contact-lens-related-dry-eye Accessed August 24, 2018.

Source(s) of Funding

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Not Applicable

Competing Interests

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Not Applicable