Pulsair tonometer offers good reliability

The Pulsair EasyEye non-contact tonometer (Keeler) can be considered an accurate and reliable method of measuring intraocular pressure (IOP) in the normotensive population but it cannot be used interchangeably with the Goldmann tonometer, according to a report published in the January issue of Optometry & Vision Science.

Kelechi Ogbuehi and Turki Almubrad from the College of Applied Medical Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia conducted a masked, prospective study which included 72 right eyes of 72 subjects. Two sets of IOP measurements were taken one week apart, Goldmann measurements always being taken second after Pulsair measurements. Each method was assessed for within-session and test-retest repeatability and both methods were assessed for limits of agreement, twice.

The researchers found that both methods were repeatable within-sessions to within ±2 mmHg and between sessions within ±3 mmHg. Neither the within-session differences nor the between-session differences differed significantly between the two tonometers. The mean differences between both methods were not statistically significant but the IOP measured with Pulsair was consistently higher than that measured with the Goldmann tonometer.

It was concluded that the Pulsair is a reliable measurement tool but that it should not be used interchangeably with the Goldmann tonometer.