Abstract
Purpose :
To evaluate the effect of prefilled syringes on rates of endophthalmitis following intravitreal injection of aflibercept.
Methods :
All cases of endophthalmitis at a single institution between March 1, 2015 and October 31, 2022 were identified using billing data and confirmed through chart review. Visual acuity (VA) at presentation, 3 months, and 6 months was evaluated.
Results :
A total of 44 cases of endophthalmitis following a total of 144,021 aflibercept injections were included. Following injection of 72,579 prefilled aflibercept injections, 7 cases of endophthalmitis occurred. Rates of endophthalmitis following aflibercept injection significantly decreased from 1 in 1,930 with non-prefilled syringes to 1 in 10,368 with prefilled syringes (p<0.0001). Overall mean VA at the time of endophthalmitis presentation was logMAR 1.70 (~count fingers), which improved to logMAR 0.94 (~20/200) at the 3-month follow-up and logMAR 0.90 (~20/160) at 6-months follow up. Mean VA was similar in prefilled cases and non-prefilled cases at time of presentation (logMAR 2.35 vs. 1.56, p=0.016), 3 months post-infection (logMAR 1.47 vs. 0.82, p=0.044), and 6 months post-infection (logMAR 1.34 vs. .81, p=0.118).
Conclusions :
Prefilled syringes significantly decrease the risk of endophthalmitis following intravitreal injection of aflibercept from approximately 1 in 2,000 to 1 in 10,000. Visual acuity outcomes of endophthalmitis were similar for prefilled and non-prefilled cases.
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.