Daily disposable (DD) soft contact lenses (CLs) have been on the market for more than 20 years (Cho and Boost, 2013). In fact, DD CLs are currently prescribed around the world, with new fits and refits of up to 74% (Morgan et al, 2018). The use of DD CLs will likely continue to grow because they offer many advantages over other soft CLs and because they are now available in parameters that meet most patients’ needs (Cho and Boost, 2013).

Safety

DD CLs are likely the safest soft CL modality, with an estimated risk of infiltrative events of 21 per 10,000 patient years and an estimated risk of microbial keratitis between 1.9 and 4.9 per 10,000 patient years (Cho and Boost, 2013; Bullimore, 2017). This improved safety likely stems from patients having the opportunity to use a clean CL every day (Cho and Boost, 2013).

Said another way, patients are less likely to contract a painful red eye because they do not need to use care systems and storage cases, which are known to increase a patient’s risk for infections (Stapleton et al, 2012). Care solutions are also absorbed into CLs and later released onto the eye’s surface, inducing limbal and bulbar redness (markers of inflammation) (Cho and Boost, 2013).

DD wearers have reduced deposits, which can build up on CLs over time and induce ocular allergies, decrease vision, and decrease comfort (Cho and Boost, 2013; Efron et al, 2013). Patients are also more likely to replace their DD CLs on time and subsequently to return for their annual exam closer to on time compared with other replacement schedules (Dumbleton et al, 2010).

Convenience

By definition, DD CLs are discarded after every use, which greatly decreases the complexity of their care (Cho and Boost, 2013). DD CL wearers only need to habitually wash their hands before handling their CLs and be able to correctly apply and remove them (Cho and Boost, 2013). This is particularly appealing for infrequent CL wearers to eliminate the worry about microbial overgrowth between uses, children who are first learning to wear CLs, athletes who are on the move, and for travelers to avoid both potential hassle related to care solutions at airport security and also issues arising from unexpected conditions at their destination (Cho and Boost, 2013; Efron et al, 2013).

Wearer Experience

DD CL wearers may experience decreased dryness, grittiness, and dirtiness symptoms compared to frequent replacement CL wearers (Cho and Boost, 2013). DD wearers also report better visual acuity and subjective visual experience compared to frequent replacement CL wearers (Cho and Boost, 2013). Together, this suggests that DD CLs are effective and that they have the potential to keep patients in CLs for longer each day and for more years because these complaints are among the top reasons why patients permanently discontinue CLs (Pritchard et al, 1999).

In a Nutshell

While DD CLs still come with the risks of noncompliant use and microbial keratitis, they should be considered first in many fitting situations despite the cost because they are generally safer and more convenient compared to other CL options (Cho and Boost, 2013; Dumbleton et al, 2010; Efron et al, 2010). CLS

For references, please visit www.clspectrum.com/references and click on document #274.