Background: Subjective scoring of pupil reactivity is a fundamental element of the neurological examination for which the pupillometer provides an objective measure.
Methods: This single-blinded observational study examined interrater reliability of pupil exam findings between two practitioners and between practitioners and a pupillometer.
Results: From 2329 paired assessments, the interrater reliability between practitioners was only moderate for pupil size (k = 0.54), shape (k = 0.62), and reactivity (k = 0.40). Only 33.3% of pupils scored as non-reactive by practitioners were scored as non-reactive by pupillometry.
Conclusions: Despite the strong emphasis placed on the traditional pupil examination, especially for patients with a neurological illness, there is limited interrater reliability for subjective scoring of pupillary assessments. Thus, the use of automated pupillometers should be examined as a potential method to increase the reliability of measuring of pupil reactivity.
Keywords: Interrater reliability; Neurological illness; Pupil assessment; Pupillometry; Traumatic brain injury.