ESCRS - PP02.09 - Antibiotic Prophylaxis During Bandage Contact Lens Use - An International Perspective

Antibiotic Prophylaxis During Bandage Contact Lens Use - An International Perspective

Published 2022 - 40th Congress of the ESCRS

Reference: PP02.09 | Type: ESCRS 2022 - Posters | DOI: 10.82333/110r-5q14

Authors: Mhafrin Basta* 1 , Andrew Walkden 2 , Samir Jabbour 3 , Radhika Rampat 4

1D. Y. Patil Medical College,Navi Mumbai,India, 2Senior Corneal Fellow,Queen Victoria Hospital,East Grinstead,United Kingdom, 3Ophthalmology,Assistant Clinical Professor, University of Montreal and Ophthalmologist at Centre hospitalier de l’Universite de Montréal,Montreal,Canada, 4Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, Corneo-Plastic Unit,Queen Victoria Hospital,East Grinstead,United Kingdom

Purpose

There is a lack of consensus regarding antibiotic prophylaxis during bandage contact lens use with varying practices using fluroquinolones, chloramphenicol or sometimes no antibiotic cover at all. We decided to undertake a survey to get a better understanding of practices used nationally as well as internationally for bandage contact lens antibiotic prophylaxis in a non-healing defect in a non-infected eye. This will help educate the choices we make and help us achieve a more standardised approach which will inevitably translate to better quality of patient care.

Setting

Audit registered at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, UK. Online questionnaire administered via international ophthalmology forums. 

Methods

A short online questionnaire was designed to be circulated amongst ophthalmologists world-wide through email and social media. Factors such as country, level of practice, use of antibiotic prophylaxis, type of antibiotic, frequency of administration and frequency of changing the BCL were recorded. No patient information needed. Results were recorded in a spreadsheet and analysed as the data was collected. 

Results

82 responses were recorded from all over the world including USA, UK, Canada, India, Israel and Ireland. 96.3% of the respondents were of an attending/consultant level and 97.6% of the total number preferred to use antibiotic cover while using a bandage contact lens (BCL). Broad spectrum antibiotics like quinolones seem to be the preferred modality of prophylaxis with 78.8% of the clinicians preferring this option. Chloramphenicol was used by 7.5% of the respondents. Other antibiotics like Azithromycin were also recorded by some. Most clinicians preferred to change the lens every 4 weeks while using the BCL long term.

Conclusions

Corneal infections during contact lens use can be visually devastating. Due to risk of pseudomonas, quinolones seem to be preferred over chloramphenicol. This survey gives us an idea of worldwide trends regarding the regimen of antibiotic prophylaxis during therapeutic bandage contact lens use. With different pathogens predominating in different parts of the world, clinicians can be made aware of recent local and international practices to make informed decisions to better serve their patient population.