Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33909233›Full record

ArticleAdvances in therapy2021

Quantitative Evaluation of Aerosol Generation from Non-contact Tonometry and its Correlation with Tear Film Characteristics.

Weiting Hao, Jianhui Wu, Xinheng Zhao, Danni Liang, Xingchen Yu, Huazheng Cao, Yan Wang

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Advances in therapy, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 32% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. The Role and Views of Ophthalmologists During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Clinical ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2021
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Weiting HaoClinical College of Ophthalmology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Jianhui WuState Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Urban Ambient Air Particulate Matter Pollution Prevention and Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
Xinheng ZhaoClinical College of Ophthalmology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Danni LiangTianjin Shuangyun Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd, Tianjin, China.
Xingchen YuClinical College of Ophthalmology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Huazheng CaoClinical College of Ophthalmology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Yan WangClinical College of Ophthalmology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China. wangyan7143@vip.sina.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1257-6635
Tianjin Medical University · CNNankai University · CNTianjin Medical University Eye Hospital · CN

Funding

Innovative Research Group Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China 81873684
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionOphthalmologists are inevitably exposed to tears and ocular discharge during ophthalmologic examinations and are at high risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection. To understand the role of aerosols in disease transmission, we adopted a prospective cross-sectional study design and investigated the count and size distribution of aerosols generated by a non-contact tonometer and its correlation with individual tear film characteristics.

methodsThis study constituted two parts. The study population included outpatients who underwent an intraocular pressure examination in an intraocular pressure examination room (Part I) and 20 participants who underwent an intraocular pressure examination in a laboratory (Part II). The following main outcomes were measured: aerosol counts at 0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 cm from the non-contact tonometer (Part I); aerosol counts after each participant underwent non-contact tonometry, and lipid layer thickness score and tear film break-up time (Part II).

resultsThe aerosol count decreased with increasing distance from the tonometer. The aerosol count at 0 cm had the highest value compared to that at other distances. For aerosols of diameters 0.25-0.5 μm and 0.5-1.0 μm, the count decreased at 50 cm and remained stable at further distances. For aerosols of diameters 1.0-2.5 μm and ≥ 2.5 μm, the count dropped progressively at all five distances. The aerosol count from each tonometer correlated positively with the lipid layer thickness score (r = 0.490, P = 0.028), whereas the aerosol count correlated negatively with the tear film break-up time (r =  - 0.675, P = 0.001).

conclusionsAerosols tended to coagulate during diffusion. A 50-cm distance from the tonometer could confer safety from aerosols with < 1.0-μm diameter. Aerosols generated during non-contact tonometry could contain a lipid layer component. Moreover, tear film stability could affect aerosol generation. Protective eyewear is recommended for reducing infection risk from aerosols. Individual tear film characteristics should be considered during non-contact tonometry.

Indexed as

COVID-19AerosolsCross-Sectional StudiesHumansManometryProspective StudiesSARS-CoV-2TearsTonometry, OcularAerosolsAerosolsCOVID-19Non-contact tonometryOphthalmologySARS-CoV-2Tear film

Identifiers

PMID33909233
PMCPMC8080094
OpenAlexW3159267211

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.