Abstract
Purpose: :
To investigate the effectiveness of 0.3% gatifloxacin drops in the prophylaxis of acute endophthalmitis in a rabbit model.
Methods: :
Forty New Zealand white rabbits were randomly placed into Group A (20 rabbits) where they received one drop of 0.3% gatifloxacin in their right eye, or Group B (20 rabbits) where they received one drop of balanced salt solution (BSS) in their right eye, every 15 min (0, 15, 30, and 45 minutes). Following this treatment regimen, the anterior chamber of each rabbit was injected with 0.05 mL saline containing 5 x 106 colony forming units of a clinical isolate of Staphylococcus aureus (vancomycin sensitive). After the inoculum injection, their treatment regimen continued: Group A (1 drop of 0.3% gatifloxacin) or Group B (BSS) immediately post–injection, 6, 12, 18, and 24 hours at which time the animals were examined in a masked fashion, photographed, anesthetized, euthanized, and the aqueous and vitreous humors collected to determine the number of viable bacteria.
Results: :
The median clinical scores for the gatifloxacin group were significantly lower than the control group (P <.05). Bacterial recovery of S. aureus was significantly higher in the control group in both the aqueous and vitreous humor (P <.05).
Conclusions: :
Gatifloxacin treated eyes demonstrated significantly (P <.05) less inflammation, infection and culture positive endophthalmitis compared to the control animals. It is important to further investigate the clinical implications from this prophylatic study.
Keywords: endophthalmitis • antibiotics/antifungals/antiparasitics • Staphylococcus