The feasibility of finger prick autologous blood (FAB) as a novel treatment for severe dry eye disease (DED): protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Patients with severe dry eye disease (DED) often have limited treatment options with standard non-surgical management focused on the use of artificial tears for lubrication and anti-inflammatory drugs. However, artificial tears do not address the extraordinary complexity of human tears. Crudely, human tears with its vast constituents is essentially filtered blood. Blood and several blood-derived products including autologous serum, have been studied as tear substitutes. This study proposes to test the use of whole, fresh, autologous blood obtained from a finger prick for treatment of severe DED.

Methods and analysis

The research team at the two participating sites will approach patients with severe DED for this study. Recruitment will take place over 12 months a

SUBMITTER: Balal S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6252631 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature