Premium
Intraocular pressure asymmetry is not a clinically‐significant feature when using the PULSAIR non‐contact tonometer
Author(s) -
Pointer Jonathan S.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
ophthalmic and physiological optics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.147
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1475-1313
pISSN - 0275-5408
DOI - 10.1046/j.1475-1313.1997.97000355.x
Subject(s) - intraocular pressure , asymmetry , ophthalmology , feature (linguistics) , contact lens , optometry , medicine , physics , linguistics , philosophy , quantum mechanics
Summary This report describes the results of a retrospective analysis of intraocular pressure (IOP) values recorded from the right (R) and left (L) eyes of middle‐aged and elderly at‐risk but assumed non‐glaucomatous subjects. The tensions had been measured using the Keeler PULSAIR non‐contact tonometer (NCT) in the course of routine optometric practice when individuals attended for a sight test. These bilateral IOP data were collated on the basis of each subject's gender, (male/female), age (40–59 years/60+ years) and the time of the tonometry assessment (a.m./p.m.). Wherever possible material was equi‐partitioned across these three bipartite variables producing balanced data groupings. Pair‐wise testing of R versus L absolute values of pneumoapplanation pressures across any of the balanced data groupings failed to reveal a statistically‐significant difference between the paired IOP distributions. There was a consistent but small relative IOP asymmetry (L>R) in these data. Further analysis indicated that this asymmetry only attained borderline statistical significance with respect to subject's age: neither gender nor the time of assessment were statistically significant features, and there were no statistically‐significant interactions between any of the three variables. In conclusion, provided that the manufacturer's operating instructions are adhered to, IOP asymmetry is not a clinically‐significant feature when using the PULSAIR NCT on a clinical population at risk of developing glaucoma.