The medical acceptability of soft contact lens wear by USAF tactical aircrews.

Seventy-two Tactical Air Command (TAC) aircrew members completed one full year of soft contact lens (SCL) wear. A daily-wear regimen, using extended-wear lenses, was used to minimize corneal stress. Baseline measurements of visual acuity with SCLs and with spectacles after SCL removal and ocular indicator gradings were compared to measurements at 5-d, 10-d, 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month examinations. Visual acuity did not decrease during the test. No aircrew member developed corneal ulcers or other serious complications requiring elimination from the test. Two aircrew members lost a total of 9 "duties not to include flying" (DNIF) days: one flyer was grounded for 1 d with a corneal abrasion and another for 8 d with epithelial microcysts. The TAC SCL Test, as designed, was generally successful. The conservative approach to SCL wear during the test and the meticulous follow-up care by United States Air Force eye care professionals most likely contributed to the low ocular complication rate.