Clinical Ophthalmology (Jan 2021)
Avoiding Diagnostic Lens Fogging During the COVID-19 Era: Options to Consider [Letter]
Abstract
Konstantina Gorgoli,1 Konstantinos Benekos,1 Andreas Katsanos2 1Iris & Retina Private Practice, Ioannina, Greece; 2Ophthalmology Department, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, GreeceCorrespondence: Andreas KatsanosOphthalmology Department, University of Ioannina, Stavros Niarchos Avenue, Ioannina 45500, GreeceTel +302651099705Email [email protected] The use of properly worn face masks by patients during slit-lamp examinations has become imperative during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, vapor escaping from the top of a patient’s mask can form condensation on the cool surface of handheld examination lenses. This can make critical ophthalmic examinations such as funduscopy or gonioscopy very challenging. Pressing the patient’s top of the maskagainst the dorsum of the nose or the cheekbones ensures that vapor exhaled by the patient is directed away from the lens, thus avoiding lens fogging. However, touching the patient’s mask carries the risk of contamination. In this article, we offer alternatives to tackle the problem of hand-held examination lens fogging due to face masks, while avoiding the risk of SARS-CoV-2 contamination. View the original paper by Pérez González and colleagues
