[Intraocular contamination during cataract surgery according to surgical technique and type of implant]. / Contamination intra-oculaire au cours de la chirurgie de la cataracte selon la technique et l'implant utilisés.

PURPOSE: To determine wether the cataract extraction method and intraocular lens material affect bacterial contamination of the eye during surgery. METHODS: This retrospective study evaluated microbial contamination of the anterior chamber fluid in three group of patients. Group 1: extracapsular extraction and PMMA lens (354 cases). Group 2: phacoemulsification and PMMA lens (474 cases). Group 3: phacoemulsification and silicone lens with PMMA haptic (264 cases). RESULTS: Microbial contamination rate was in group 1: 5.65%, in group 2: 4.75%, and in group 3: 4.54%. The difference was not statistically significant (chi: 0.321). All contaminants were Gram positive. CONCLUSION: Bacterial contamination rate of the anterior chamber is similar during extracapsular extraction and phacoemulsification, and is not modified when using PMMA or silicone lens.

[Diffusion of pefloxacin in the aqueous humor and crystalline lens after repeated oral administration in man]. / Diffusion oculaire dans l'humeur aqueuse et le cristallin de la péfloxacine après administration orale répétée chez l'homme.

The intraocular penetration of pefloxacin was evaluated in 38 patients undergoing extracapsular cataract extraction. Patients were treated for three days with 400 mg of pefloxacin every twelve hours (the first dose being 800 mg). The mean maximum concentration of pefloxacin reached six hours after the last dose in the aqueous humor was 7.69 +/- 3.50 mg/l and reached twelve hours after the last dose in the lens was 4.59 +/- 3.15 micrograms/g. Antibiotic levels were measured by high performance liquid chromatography. Several doses until plasma steady state were effective in obtaining a higher level than a single dose of 400 mg. The ratio between aqueous humor and serum concentrations ranged between 0.50 and 0.89 (mean 68%). These concentrations in aqueous humor were higher than the MIC90 of pefloxacin for most bacterial pathogens involved in endophthalmitis 24 hours after the last dose.