title: Conjunctivitis in the newborn: observations on incidence, cause, and prophylaxis.
abstract: One hundred seventy-one cases of neonatal conjunctivitis seen at Bellevue Hospital during the period 1950--1976 were reviewed. An overall incidence of 3.0 cases per 1,000 live births was found. A comparison of the rates of neonatal conjunctivitis with silver nitrate and tetracycline prophylaxis revealed a 100% increase in the rate overall, as well as the rate of gonococcal conjunctivitis with tetracycline. Using conjunctival cultures and cytology, a diagnosis could be established in 73% of the cases, with 41% being bacterial and 32% chlamydial. Staphylococcus was the single most common organism recovered; gonococcus was relatively rare.
mesh_terms: D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008722:Methods; D009878:Ophthalmia Neonatorum / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012835:Silver Nitrate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D012835:Silver Nitrate; D013752:Tetracycline