Episodes of microbial keratitis with therapeutic silicone hydrogel bandage soft contact lenses.
OBJECTIVE
To report the therapeutic practice patterns of silicone hydrogel (SiH) bandage soft contact lenses (BSCL) and the resultant rate of microbial keratitis (MK).


METHODS
A retrospective case series of patients treated with therapeutic BSCLs for ocular surface disease from January 2006 to January 2009 in a tertiary care cornea practice. All patients had a history of ocular surface disease.


RESULTS
Seventy-four patients were treated with a therapeutic SiH BSCL (102 intervals of use) for complicated ocular surface disease. Two patients developed infectious corneal infiltrates (2/102, 2.0%) [corrected]. Two of 3 MK episodes were in patients with limbal stem-cell deficiency (2/102, 2.0%).


CONCLUSIONS
Therapeutic SiH BSCLs were safely used in most patients. However, results suggest that prophylactic antibiotic use did not eliminate the risk for MK with SiH BSCL use in patients with chronic ocular surface disease.
Cornea Service, Wills Eye Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA. asaini2@hotmail.com
Arvind
A
Saini
Christopher J
CJ
Rapuano
Peter R
PR
Laibson
Elisabeth J
EJ
Cohen
Kristin M
KM
Hammersmith
D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis; D003263:Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003320:Corneal Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D020100:Hydrogels; D009779:Occlusive Dressings / Q000009:adverse effects; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012826:Silicone Elastomers
D020100:Hydrogels; D012826:Silicone Elastomers