[Comparison of the effect of tetracycline 1% and erythromycin 0.5% ophthalmic ointments for prophylaxis of ophthalmia neonatorum]

ABSTRACT

Ophthalmia neonatorum is a kind of conjunctivitis occurring in infants younger than 4 weeks of age and is the most common eye disease of the newborns. This study compares the effect of tetracycline 1% eye ointment with that of erythromycin 0.5% ophthalmic ointment on decreasing the incidence rate or prevention of neonatal conjunctivitis. This study was a controlled randomized single blind clinical trial without placebo. The study included 330 term neonates born by normal delivery or cesarean section in the post-delivery ward of Besat Hospital in Sanandaj City from the spring of 2010 to the spring of 2011. The neonates were assigned to three equal groups, A, B and C, every group consisted of 110 neonates. Before intervention, written consent from the parents was obtained. One hour after birth one cm of tetracycline 1% ophthalmic ointment and one cm of erythromycin 0.5% ophthalmic ointment was used for group A and group B respectively. Group C [control group] did not receive any medication. All the infants were examined at the end of the first, second and fourth weeks. Data were introduced into SPSS software and analyzed by chi-square and t-test. Conjunctivitis occurred in 22 [20%], 16 [14.5%] and 25 [22.7%] neonates in tetracycline, erythromycin and control groups respectively. Considering the high prevalence of conjunctivitis in the control group and considering the complications that can result from neonatal conjunctivitis [especially gonococcal conjunctivitis], prevention of neonatal conjunctivitis seems quite logical. Since use of tetracycline and erythromycin did not led to a significant decrease in the incidence of conjunctivitis, more comprehensive studies on the effect of other drugs such as povidone iodine or silver nitrate to find an appropriate medication for prevention of neonatal conjunctivitis, seems necessary