Inconsistency in Schirmer Tear Test Strips

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Abstract
To the Editor.—We would like to describe an inconsistency in the Schirmer tear test strips (Cooper Vision Pharmaceuticals, Inc, lot F7102A, expiration date: 2/87) being used at our hospital. Our initial observations were made while we used the strips to collect tears for immunologic analysis. During the course of the study, it was noticed that two distinct populations of strips existed, often in the same plastic packet. When transilluminated, one population had fine horizontal lines (about 1 mm apart), while the other was characterized by coarser horizontal lines (about 2 mm apart). It took consistently longer to fill the fine-lined strips with tears than it did the coarser set.To demonstrate the inconsistency, we placed representative strips perpendicularly in water to the depth of the notch and allowed them to fill for 30 seconds. The fine-lined strips filled to an average of 11.1 mm (n = 10; range, 10 to

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