Abstract
Objective: To assess the impact of the water drinking test (WDT) on intraocular pressure (IOP) in advanced-terminal stage glaucoma patients, treated with maximal topical hypotensive therapy.
Method: This retrospective clinical study included patients with advanced or end-stage open-angle glaucoma, with or without prior glaucoma surgery and medication. Participants underwent the WDT, where they consumed 1 liter of water over 5 minutes. IOP was measured at baseline, and then at 15-, 30-, and 45-minutes post-administration.
Results: The IOP measurements (mean ± standard deviation) were as follows:baseline: 12.3 ± 2.1 mmHg; at minute 15: 14.8 ± 3.1 mmHg; at minute 30: 16.4 ± 3.3 mmHg and at minute 45: 14.7 ± 2.6 mmHg. A significant increase in IOP was observed at minute 30 compared to baseline (p = 0.01).
Conclusion: Ingesting 1000 ml of water within 5 minutes raises IOP in patients with advanced or end-stage glaucoma and maximal topical hypotensive therapy. Further research is needed to explore the relevance of these findings in medical scenarios requiring significant fluid intake, such as kidney-bladder, prostate, and gynecological ultrasounds.