Certified Paraoptometric (CPO) Practice Exam 2025

How long does the effect of Tropicamide typically last?

1. 2-4 hours

2. 4-6 hours

3. 6-8 hours

4. 8-10 hours

The correct answer is: 4-6 hours

Tropicamide is a medication commonly used for dilating the pupils during eye examinations. The typical duration of dilating effects for Tropicamide is around 4-6 hours. This duration makes it suitable for use in clinical settings where a temporary and controlled dilation is necessary for procedures such as fundus examination or refraction. While it can start to wear off as early as 2 hours post-administration, the most common expectation is for the effects to persist within that 4-6 hour timeframe, which aligns with your selected answer. It’s important for practitioners to set patient expectations regarding how long they may experience the effects of the drops, especially in considering their activities following the examination. The other choices suggest durations that exceed the typical timeframe for Tropicamide's effectiveness, which is why they would not be correct in this context.