Current Australian practice in the prevention and management of corneal allograft rejection.
OBJECTIVE
To determine current practices in the prevention and management of corneal allograft rejection in Australia.


METHODS
A questionnaire was circulated to attendees at the 1998 Eye Bank Meeting in Adelaide. Twenty-four responses were received and analysed.


RESULTS
All respondents used topical corticosteroids for routine prophylaxis and to treat established rejection episodes. Prednisolone acetate was the most frequently prescribed topical corticosteroid. Systemic non-steroidal immunosuppression was prescribed almost exclusively for high-risk grafts. Seventy-five per cent of surgeons used systemic antiviral agents for the treatment of graft rejection in patients with Herpes simplex keratitis.


CONCLUSIONS
There was a wide variation amongst surgeons in the choice of therapy for routine prophylactic immunosuppression as well as for the treatment of established corneal allograft rejection.
Barker
N H
NH
Department of Ophthalmology, Flinders University of South Australia, Bedford Park, Australia.
Henderson
T R
TR
Ross
C A
CA
Coster
D J
DJ
Williams
K A
KA
D000287:Administration, Topical; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001315:Australia; D016039:Corneal Transplantation; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids