Purpose: This study evaluated the clinical performance of contact lens wear, primarily comfort and dryness during the daytime and at the end of the day, associated with the use of a multipurpose solution containing hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), COMPLETE ComfortPLUS (Allergan, Irvine, CA) compared to a citrate-based multi-purpose disinfecting solution used without manual rubbing, NO RUB OPTI-FREE EXPRESS (Alcon, Ft. Worth, TX).
Methods: This randomized, investigator-masked, cross-over study was conducted with 64 subjects who underwent adaptation and were planned-replacement lens wearers. Each solution was used by the subject for 1 month, with a 1-week wash-out period during which the subject's own solutions were used. When new solutions were issued, new contact lenses also were dispensed.
Results: The level of comfort, the primary endpoint of the study, in the evening (on a 50-point scale) was rated better with OPTI-FREE EXPRESS at the end of the 1-month period of wear (mean 39 vs. 37, P=0.03). Dryness, the most frequently reported symptom, occurred at a similar level of rating with both care systems (P >0.05). Few other clinically significant differences between the regimens were noted.
Conclusions: The overall clinical performance of the citrate-based solution used without manual rubbing was similar to that of the solution containing HPMC. The subjective results of comfort-level and dryness with the two regimens demonstrated that the inclusion of HPMC did not provide unique performance advantages.