Results of a survey of patients with ocular allergy treated with topical ketorolac tromethamine.

Exposure of the eye to airborne particles in patients predisposed to allergy often results in the signs and symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis such as red, itchy eyes and ocular discharge. The mediators of these allergic symptoms include histamine, inflammatory substances such as prostaglandins, and other products of arachidonic acid metabolism (ie, leukotrienes). Ketorolac tromethamine is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent that inhibits the activity of cyclooxygenase, one of the two major enzymes responsible for the conversion of arachidonic acid to inflammatory substances. A multicenter patient survey was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of topical ketorolac tromethamine in treating the symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis. After ocular administration of ketorolac tromethamine, 90% (246/272) of patients reported that their eyes felt better. Eighty-four percent (173/206) of respondents rated ketorolac tromethamine as good to excellent in relieving their overall symptoms of ocular allergy, and 86% (217/251) of patients found the study drug produced good to excellent relief of their ocular itching usually within minutes to 1 hour of administration. Results of this survey found ketorolac tromethamine is effective in relieving ocular itching, the hallmark symptom of allergic conjunctivitis. In addition, these results provide further evidence that the products of arachidonic acid metabolism contribute to the symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis.