The water drinking test in Glaucoma: a surrogate for outflow facility
Date
2019-06-03
Authors
Indiveri, Francesca Anna
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Abstract
Background: Glaucoma is now the leading cause of irreversible blindness globally, and thus represents a significant public health challenge. The use of efficient diagnostic and prognostic tests has become critical, and one such test that is experiencing revival is the water drinking test (WDT). The importance of the WDT in acting as a surrogate marker for outflow facility has recently been emphasized.
Objectives: To test newfound literature in a local setting by comparing the effect of the WDT in a glaucomatous and non-glaucomatous population and to validate its use as a surrogate marker for outflow facility.
Design and method: A cross-sectional study of two patient populations at St John Eye Hospital, Johannesburg. The case group comprised 50 black South African patients with medically-managed primary open angle glaucoma. An age, race and gender-matched control population was selected. Each group underwent a WDT with intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements at fixed intervals. The peak IOP and IOP range during the WDT were compared between each patient population.
Results: The peak IOP following the WDT was, on average, 9.7mmHg higher in the case than control group (p<0.00001). The IOP range during the WDT was, on average, 8mmHg higher in the case than control group (p<0.0001). Conclusion: Patients with glaucoma exhibit significantly greater IOP peaks and range during a WDT when compared to a matched control population.
Description
A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Medicine,2019
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Citation
Indiveri, Francesca Anna (2019) The water drinking test in glaucoma-a surrogate for outflow facility, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, <http://hdl.handle.net/10539/28959>