title: Honey prophylaxis reduces the risk of endophthalmitis during perioperative period of eye surgery.
abstract: Endophthalmitis following eye surgery remains a rare but serious complication. Topical fluoroquinolones have been used as prophylactic agents against endophthalmitis. However, the emerging resistance of ocular pathogens to fluoroquinolones may preclude their routine use. Honey, a natural antimicrobial product with wound healing properties, is a promising candidate for the prophylaxis of endophthalmitis. The goal of this study was to determine whether 25% (w/v) honey solution is effective in eradicating bacterial ocular pathogens in the perioperative period in patients scheduled for cataract surgery or vitrectomy, and to compare its efficacy to 0.3% ofloxacin. In this pilot study, 101 patients were randomized to honey (n = 49) or ofloxacin (n = 52) treatment. In both groups, eye drops were administered five times a day for 7 days before and 5 days after surgery. Before administration of the antibacterial agents, 18 and 25 isolates were detected in the ofloxacin and honey group, respectively. After 7 days of administration, four isolates (coagulase-negative Staphylococcus) were detected in each therapeutic group. No significant difference in antibacterial effect was found between groups. These results indicate that honey may act as a prophylactic agent of endophthalmitis; however, further studies are needed to characterize its ocular penetration properties.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Slovak Medical University, Antolska 11, 851 07, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cernak
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Majtanova
authors.forename: Andrej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cernak
authors.forename: Juraj
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Majtan
mesh_terms: D028202:Abies / Q000737:chemistry; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000379:methods*; D003352:Corynebacterium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D009877:Endophthalmitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000601:surgery; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006722:Honey; D006801:Humans; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D059035:Perioperative Period; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014821:Vitrectomy / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D015242:Ofloxacin