Intracameral more effective than subconjunctival cefuroxime

Intracameral cefuroxime is a safe alternative to subconjunctival cefuroxime and leads to a lower rate of endophthalmitis, claims a study published in the March 2008 issue of the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.

Patrick Yu-Wai-Man and colleagues at the Sunderland Eye Infirmary, UK, performed a retrospective analysis of all presumed infectious endophthalmitis cases from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2006, and compared the rate of presumed infectious endophthalmitis in patients receiving subconjunctival cefuroxime with those receiving intracameral cefuroxime at the end of surgery.

The study, whose purpose was to compare the efficacy of intracameral cefuroxime versus subconjunctival cefuroxime in reducing the rate of endophthalmitis after cataract surgery, included 36 743 phacoemulsification cataract procedures, with a mean rate of presumed infectious endophthalmitis of 0.95 per 1000 cases. The incidence of endophthalmitis was significantly higher in the subconjunctival cefuroxime group than in the intracameral cefuroxime group.

Overall, the researchers found that intracameral cefuroxime was a safe alternative to subconjunctival cefuroxime and led to a lower rate of endophthalmitis.