Revisiting systemic treatment of bacterial endophthalmitis: a review of intravitreal penetration of systemic antibiotics.

BACKGROUND: Adjunctive systemic antibiotic therapy for treatment of bacterial endophthalmitis is controversial but common practice due to the severity of the disease. In the absence of guidance documents, several antibiotic regimens are being used without applying evidence-based prescribing, leading to inappropriate treatment of this serious eye condition. OBJECTIVES: To summarize available data on intravitreal penetration of systemically administered antibiotics and to discuss their usefulness from a microbiological and pharmacological point of view. SOURCES: We performed a systematic PubMed search of studies investigating antibiotic concentrations in the vitreous after systemic administration in humans, and selected animal models. CONTENT: The best-documented agents achieving therapeutic levels in the vitreous are meropenem, linezolid and moxifloxacin. Vancomycin, cefazoline, ceftriaxone, ceftazidime, imipenem and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole reach levels justifying their use in specific situations. Available data do not support the use of ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, aminoglycosides, aminopenicillins, piperacillin, cefepime and clarithromycin. With very limited but available promising data, the use of daptomycin and rifampicin deserves further investigation. IMPLICATIONS: The choice of the adjunctive systemic antibiotic agent-in situations where it is considered relevant for treatment-must to date be made on an individual basis, considering microbiological aspects as well as operative status and inflammation of the eye. This review gives a systematic overview of antibiotic options and provides guidance to the clinician striving for optimal systemic antibiotic treatment of bacterial endophthalmitis.

Swiss S1 guideline for the treatment of rosacea.

Rosacea (in German sometimes called 'Kupferfinne', in French 'Couperose' and in Italian 'Copparosa') is a chronic and frequently relapsing inflammatory skin disease primarily affecting the central areas of the face. Its geographic prevalence varies from 1% to 22%. The differential diagnosis is wide, and the treatment is sometimes difficult and varies by stage of rosacea. For erythematous lesions and telangiectasia, intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy and lasers are popular treatment option. In addition, a vasoconstrictor agent, brimonidine, has recently been developed. For papulopustular rosacea, topical antibiotics, topical and systemic retinoids, as well as systemic antibiotics are used. A topical acaricidal agent, ivermectin, has undergone clinical development and is now on the market. In the later stages, hyperplasia of the sebaceous glands develops, resulting in phymatous growths such as the frequently observed bulbous nose or rhinophyma. Ablative laser treatments have largely replaced classical abrasive tools. Here, we reviewed the current evidence on the treatment of rosacea, provide a guideline (S1 level) and discuss the differential diagnosis of rosacea.

[Is it still Necessary to Discontinue Using Daily Wear Soft Contact Lenses for a Period before LASIK?]. / Braucht es noch eine Tragekarenz bei weichen Kontaktlinsen vor LASIK?

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to verify whether soft contact lenses (SCL) can have a clinically significant impact on refraction before LASIK. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 113 eyes for which the refraction was measured initially and after discontinuing soft contact lenses for at least 7 days. Both spherical and cylindrical measurements were performed. In addition, the difference between postoperative refraction and the target refraction for these eyes was calculated for both spherical and cylindrical refraction. RESULTS: In 8 % (18 %) of the eyes, the spherical or cylindrical refraction changed by 0.5 dioptre or more after a week of not wearing soft contact lenses. Total spherical refraction changed by an average of 0.15 dioptre (p = 0.58) and cylindrical refraction by 0.18 dioptre (p = 0.006). After LASIK, the difference between postoperative and target refraction was significantly different for both spherical refraction (0.3 dioptre) and for cylindrical refraction (0.21 dioptre). DISCUSSION: The differences in the measurements during this study suggest that a modern soft contact lenses should still be discontinued before LASIK. The optimal duration of the discontinuation remains to be determined.

[Toric intraocular lenses: a valuable method for correcting corneal astigmatism]. / Torische Intraokularlinsen: Eine nützliche Methode in der Korrektur des kornealen Astigmatismus.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this stud was to assess clinical outcomes after implantation of a hydrophobic toric intraocular lens (IOL) in patients undergoing cataract surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 22 eyes (16 patients) with at least 0.8 diopter (D) of corneal astigmatism having routine cataract surgery were included. After marking the final axis of the IOL, phacoemulsification, implantation and alignment of a toric IOL was performed. Uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), best corrected distance visual acuity (BDVA), manifest refraction, and keratometry were measured 5 to 19 months postoperatively. Individual patient satisfaction was also recorded. The cylinder axis of the toric IOL was determined at a slitlamp examination. RESULTS: The mean UDVA postoperatively was 0.3 logMAR±0.23 (SD) and was 0.3 logMAR or better in 63.6% of eyes. The mean refractive cylinder decreased significantly postoperatively, ranging from -3.3±1.5 D to -1.3±0.7 D. The mean absolute IOL misalignment was 7.5 degrees (range 0 to 21°). The good UDVA resulted in high levels of patient satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: Implantation of a toric IOL during cataract surgery was an effective and safe method to manage corneal astigmatism in this series of patients.

Osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis (OOKP) and the testing of three different adhesives for bonding bovine teeth with optical poly-(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) cylinder.

AIM: Preparation of the lamina during osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis (OOKP) design is complex, and its longevity and watertightness important. To date, only acrylic bone cements have been used for bonding the optical cylinder to the tooth dentine. Our aim was to evaluate different dental adhesives for OOKP preparation. METHODS: Specimens of bovine teeth were produced by preparing 1.5-mm thick dentine slices with holes having a diameter of 3.5 mm. Each group (n=10 per group) was luted with either classic poly-(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) bone cement, universal resin cement or glass ionomer cement. All specimens underwent force measurement using a uniaxial traction machine. RESULTS: The highest mean force required to break the bond was measured for PMMA bone cement (128.2 N) followed by universal resin cement (127.9 N), with no statistically significant difference. Glass ionomer cement showed significantly lower force resistance (78.1 N). CONCLUSIONS: Excellent bonding strength combined with easy application was found for universal resin cement, and thus, it is a potential alternative to acrylic bone cement in OOKP preparation.

Assessment of a new Goldmann applanation tonometer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The classic Goldmann applanation tonometer (GAT) has been further developed by Haag-Streit International. The applanation principle has been retained, while the internal force transmission and the pressure gauging have been optimised, the display of results digitised. The authors compared the GAT standard with the new GAT digital. METHODS: Four fixed tonometer pairs were used. The protocol included: non-contact pachymetry, slit-lamp examination, three consecutive measurements with each tonometer with a 5 min interval in between, check for side effects in 15 min. Three groups (intraocular pressure (IOP) levels) were defined: (1) IOP ≤ 16; (2) IOP>16 and <23; (3) IOP ≥ 23 mm Hg. RESULTS: 125 Patients (250 eyes) were evaluated. IOP (mm Hg), GAT standard versus GAT digital, for the rights eyes was: Group 1: 12.94 ± 0.55 versus 13.11 ± 0.53, p=0.71. Group 2: 18.26 ± 0.59 versus 18.03 ± 0.52, p=0.53; Group 3: 30.28 ± 0.48 versus 30.42 ± 0.41, p=0.97; all right eyes: 17.48 ± 7.48 versus 17.73 ± 7.4, p=0.99. For the left eyes, there was no significant difference, either. The correlation was very good and was not influenced by the IOP level. The Pearson coefficient for the right eye was 0.985, and for the left eye 0.994. In the Bland-Altman analysis, although there were two single readings that differed by as much as 5 mm Hg, GAT digital measures showed almost no skew, and the mean difference was 0.03 ± 1.23 mm Hg (n=250). A multiple regression analysis showed no influence of order of measurement, eyeside or pachymetry. CONCLUSIONS: The new GAT digital is as reliable and safe as GAT standard. IOP values correlate well. It offers a digitised display and a wireless transfer of data. The display of values up to the first decimal digit is not necessarily associated with a more precise measurement, but may offer an additional comfort compared with the 2 mm Hg scale of the classic GAT.