Effectiveness of Sodium Hyaluronate Eye Drops on Air Traffic Controllers with Dry Eye Syndrome

Objective: The use of video display terminals (VDT) by air traffic controllers (ATC) in their work may cause dry eye syndrome (DES) that is harmful to the flight safety and security. Early prevention with artificial tear drops on ATC with mild DES can prevent DES and improve flight safety and security. The aim is to assess the effectiveness of sodium hyaluronate (SH) eye drops on ATC of Soekarno Hatta Airport with DES. Method: Pre post intervention study was done on fifty ATC of Soekarno Hatta Airport that diagnosed mild degree DES with Schirmer test by researcher team then administered sodium hyaluronate eye drops. Drug administration is done daily for seven days. The effectiveness of the drug was assessed objectively by Schirmer test and subjectively with the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire before and after the drug administration. Result: There was statistically significant increment for both Schirmer test from 14.58 +/- 2.56 to 8.22 +/- 1.33 and OSDI score from 16.7 (0-46) to 25 (0-64.6) after seven days of drug administration. It was also aligned with clinical condition that shows the shifting from the mild degree to normal degree both for Schirmer test and OSDI score. Conclusion: Sodium hyaluronate eye drops are effective in overcoming mild degree dry eye syndrome on air traffic controllers.