title: Comparison of topical ciprofloxacin to conventional antibiotic therapy in the treatment of ulcerative keratitis.
abstract: We evaluated the efficacy of ciprofloxacin (3 mg/ml) as the sole topical antibiotic used to treat infectious keratitis in 14 patients. We compared the ciprofloxacin-treated group to a retrospective control group of 30 consecutive culture-positive patients treated with conventional therapy in which cefazolin (50 mg/ml) and fortified gentamicin sulfate (9.1 mg/ml) solutions were used. We found no remarkable difference between the control group and the ciprofloxacin-treated group regarding patient age, risk factors, need for hospitalization, and virulence of organism isolated. The average time to healing in culture-positive ciprofloxacin-treated patients was 34 +/- 33 days vs 45 +/- 71 days in the control group and this difference was not statistically significant. The duration of antibiotic therapy in the culture-positive ciprofloxacin-treated group was 27 +/- 15 days vs 33 +/- 50 days in the control group. Four of the 30 control patients required modification of their antibiotic regimen, whereas no ciprofloxacin-treated patient required a change. Ciprofloxacin appears to be an effective single agent in the treatment of ulcerative keratitis.
authors: Krieger Eye Institute, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, MD 21215.
authors: D J
authors: DJ
authors: Parks
authors: D A
authors: DA
authors: Abrams
authors: F A
authors: FA
authors: Sarfarazi
authors: H R
authors: HR
authors: Katz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002437:Cefazolin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003320:Corneal Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005839:Gentamicins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D005839:Gentamicins; D002939:Ciprofloxacin; D002437:Cefazolin