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Sampling methods for tear stix tests
Author(s) -
Norn Mogens
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-3768.1992.tb04882.x
Subject(s) - ophthalmology , medicine
Four different methods for transferring conjunctival fluid to stix test pads were studied. Onehundred and twenty eyes from 120 cataract‐extracted patients (35 in the operated eye 0–5 days post‐operatively and 85 in the contralateral eye) were included in the study. Transfer of fluid by a glass rod from the lateral part of the inferior fornix was demonstrated to be the most suitable method, showing the highest sensitivity to leucocyte‐esterase (83%, N = 120, p < 0.05) and with a specificity equal to that of the other methods tested (cotton, spongostan, Schirmer paper strip). The glass rod method is suitable for detecting blood, nitrite, albumin, pH, and glucose, and is a both quick and unintrusive procedure. All four transferring methods may, however, cause an increased desquamation of epithelial cells and an increased amount of mucus.