ObjectiveTo discuss the effect of synthesized physical nursing care on the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) patients.
MethodWe collected 100 MGD patients between March and September 2014, and randomized them into conventional and synthesized physical nursing care groups with 50 patients in each. We evaluated the subjective symptoms, the break-up time of tear-film and the function of lacrimal gland secretion before and after treatment. We surveyed the satisfaction of these patients during the follow-up.
ResultsCompared with the conventional nursing care group, the synthesized group had less clinical symptoms, longer break-up times of tear-film and better lacrimal gland secretion function. The results showed remarkable statistical significance (P<0.05).
ConclusionsSynthesized nursing care has significant effect on the treatment efficacy of MGD outpatients.
Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is a common ocular surface disease, and the pathogenesis of MGD is closely related to the alteration of meibomian gland morphology and (or) function. At present, the treatment strategy for MGD consists of physical therapy, artificial lubricants, topical and systemic antibiotics and anti-inflammatory agents, topical steroids and Ω-3 dietary supplementation. Recently, the thermal pulsation system (LipiFlow) has been used clinically, which allows heat to be applied to the palpebral surfaces of the upper and lower eyelids directly over the meibomian glands, while simultaneously applying pulsatile pressure to the outer eyelid surfaces. Due to its specific design, the cornea and eyeball can successfully avoid the potential damage from overheating and improper expression, which will greatly improve the safety during the clinical application and patients’ compliance. Studies have showed that the effectiveness of LipiFlow when treating MGD is at least as well as twice-daily lid warming and massage for 3 months, which displays a broad application prospect. At present, the application of LipiFlow in China has not been fully developed, and only some hospitals have experimental applications. This paper summarizes the research progress of LipiFlow treatment in MGD.
