Is It Already Time for a Paradigm Shift in the Treatment of Bacterial Conjunctivitis in Order to Reduce the Rise of Antibiotic Resistance in Ophthalmology?
Wydanie 3/2021
str. 34 – 37
Autorzy: Maciej Osęka1, Piotr Maciejewicz2.
1 Oftalabs Sp. z o. o., Fundacja Profilaktyki Chorób Narządu Wzroku (FPCNW)
2 Katedra i Klinika Okulistyki Warszawskiego Uniwersytetu Medycznego
Kierownik: prof. dr hab. n. med. Dariusz Kęcik
Summary:
Bacterial resistance to ophthalmic antibiotics has been increasing for the last years. Yearly sales of ophthalmic antibiotics in Poland amount to approximately 5 million packs. Conjunctivitis is one of the most common ophthalmic diseases and ophthalmic antibiotics are commonly used to treat it. The proper differentiation between viral and bacterial conjunctivitis can be difficult and it can be a cause of excessive use of ophthalmic antibiotics. Rapid test for the presence of leukocyte esterase in the discharge from the conjunctival sac can be a good tool for better diagnosis of a bacterial etiology of conjunctivitis. The maximum shortening of their use with the significant increase of dropping frequency should maintain the effectiveness and limit antibiotic resistance.