Background: Particularly outpatients want to reach the ability for driving a car as soon as possible after pupillary dilatation. Dapiprazole is an alpha-1 adrenergic inhibitor that antagonizes the mydriatic effect of phenylephrine in a direct competitive way. The aim of this study was to determine restoration of traffic related functions after dapiprazole application in accordance with the guidelines of the German Society of Ophthalmology (DOG).
Subjects: 65 eyes of 33 subjects were tested (17 females, 16 males). All had driving licenses without restrictions. Before mydriasis and after reversal with dapiprazole traffic-related functions were evaluated (photopic visual acuity, mesopic vision, sensitivity to glare, colour vision, accommodation, visual field).
Results: No relevant changes of the parameter responsible for the ability to drive a motor vehicle could be shown after reaching premydriatic pupil diameters.
Conclusions: There is evidence that reaching normal pupil diameters after reversal of mydriasis by dapiprazole is a valid sign of restoration of traffic related functions.