Effect of alcohol on the efficacy of excimer laser power☆☆☆
Accepted 10 March 2004.
Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate the effect of various alcohol concentrations on excimer laser power.
Setting: University Eye Clinic, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Methods: The fluency of the Technolas 217z laser (Bausch & Lomb) was calibrated according to the standard calibration procedure. The effect of ethanol 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80% and sodium hypochlorite 0.06% solutions on laser fluency was assessed in 5 experiments.
Results: Ethanol concentrations of 20% and 40% had no significant effect on laser fluency. Ethanol concentrations of 60% and 80% reduced fluency to 97.6%. Sodium hypochlorite had no effect on laser fluency.
Conclusions: A high concentration of ethanol affected laser fluency and should be avoided in the operating theater. Ethanol 20%, which is commonly used during laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy, did not affect laser fluency.
Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Eye Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
Reprint requests to Dr. Arthur C.K. Cheng, Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 3F, Hong Kong Eye Hospital, 147K Argyle Street, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
☆ Supported in part by the Action for Vision Eye Foundation, Hong Kong, China.
☆☆ None of the authors has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
ABSTRACT