A retrospective study of the incidence of culture-positive endophthalmitis after cataract surgery and the use of preoperative antibiotics.
To determine the incidence of culture-positive endophthalmitis after cataract surgery in an ambulatory surgery center and to analyze the effect of a specific preoperative antibiotic regimen in reducing the incidence of endophthalmitis.



The medical records of 30,870 consecutive eyes undergoing cataract extraction at a single ambulatory surgery center were reviewed retrospectively. Complications of the cataract surgeries, including endophthalmitis, were collected.



Cataract surgery was performed without the use of preoperative topical antibiotics on 19,529 eyes from 1990 to 1998 (Group 1) and using topical preoperative ciprofloxacin-soaked pledgets on 11,341 eyes from 1999 to 2003 (Group 2). Five eyes had culture-positive endophthalmitis in each group. The incidence of culture-positive endophthalmitis was 0.03% (1 in 3000) in Group 1 and 0.04% (1 in 2268) in Group 2 (P = 1.0).



The incidence of postoperative endophthalmitis in this study was low. A preoperative pledget soaked with a second-generation fluoroquinolone did not appear to lower the incidence of culture-positive endophthalmitis after cataract surgery in this series.
Bohigian
George M
GM
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D009877:Endophthalmitis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D002939:Ciprofloxacin