A prospective randomized study of medications after silicone intubation.
Author(s): Liu D
Affiliation(s): University of Southern California, School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Doheny Eye Institute, Los Angeles, USA.
Publication date & source: 1996-06, Ophthalmic Surg Lasers., 27(6):434-7.
Publication type: Clinical Trial; Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Following silicone intubation, most surgeons prescribe either an antibiotic or an antibiotic-steroid combination medication. No known controlled study has been performed to determine whether steroids in addition to antibiotics improve the postoperative outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The author performed a prospective randomized study of 108 patients (118 eyes) who underwent silicone intubation over a period of 4 1/2 years. Sixty-seven patients received a combination of neomycin, polymyxin B, and dexamethasone and 41 patients received gentamicin for 2 weeks after surgery. A standardized surgical technique and instruments were used. Follow-up ranged from 8 to 44 months (average 19 months). RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was found in the failure rates when patients treated with an antibiotic-steroid combination were compared with those treated with antibiotic alone. CONCLUSION: Following silicone intubation, there appears to be no additional benefit of an antibiotic-steroid combination medication over an antibiotic alone.
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