Use of soft contact lenses in an eye casualty department for the primary treatment of traumatic corneal abrasions.

We have assessed the role of bandage contact lenses in the primary treatment of traumatic corneal abrasions. Patients treated with bandage lenses healed more quickly (0.05 greater than p greater than 0.02) and with less discomfort (0.05 greater than p greater than 0.02) than those treated traditionally, with the added advantage of maintaining vision during treatment. Resterilisation of contact lenses reduces the cost and makes the treatment economically viable. Large diameter lenses were fitted satisfactorily without the use of keratometry.