Cefazolin injection reduces the rate of postoperative endophthalmitis

Administering cefazolin injections after cataract surgery reduces the rate of postoperative endophthalmitis, claims a study in the journal Bio Med Central.

Dr Pedro Romero-Aroca et al., Ophthalmology Service. Hospital Universitari Sant Joan, IISPV, Universidad Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain, conducted a prospective, observational study on 25001 patients.

All participants were divided into two groups: Group 1, consisting of 11696 patients, was operated on between January 2002 and December 2002 and Group 2, with 13305 patients, was administered a 1 mg/0.1 bolus of intracameral cefazolin between January 2003 and December 2009.

Of the patients studied, there were 76 cases of endophthalmitis in Group 1, compared to 7 in Group 2. Postoperative endophthalmitis rate decreased from 0.63% to 0.05% after a cefazolin. The relative risk of endophthalmitis in Group 1, compared to Group 2, was 11.45.

Intracameral bolus injections of cefazolin after cataract surgery significantly reduce the rate of postoperative endophthalmitis.