Irrigating the conjunctiva with a povidone-iodine prepping solution prior to cataract surgery can help to prevent the incidence of endophthalmitis, according to South American researchers.
In a study published in the March/April issue of the Brazilian Archives of Ophthalmology, Paraguayan researchers point out that organisms sampled from the vitreous of a patient suffering from post-op endophthalmitis appear to be the same bacteria as those found on the patient's eyelids, conjunctiva or nose.
As a result, efforts to reduce the incidence of endophthalmitis in cataract surgery patients have focused on reducing the amount of bacteria on those areas. Povidone-iodine is typically used for the task because it is fast acting, effective against a wide variety of pathogens and affordable, the study notes.
To gauge the solution's efficacy, the researchers swabbed the inferior conjunctival fornix of 221 cataract surgery patients 3 times: Before prepping solution was applied; after applying 10% povidone-iodine prep to the eyelids, eyelashes and periocular area and flushing the conjuctiva with a 5% povidone-iodine solution; and after surgery was completed.
They reported a 60.7% reduction in bacterial growth on the conjuctiva after the povidone-iodine wash and no significant difference in colonization between samples taken immediately after the wash and after surgery. The findings lend support to the practice of routinely washing the conjunctiva with 5% povidone-iodine prior to cataract surgery in order to reduce endophthalmitis risks, they note.
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