title: Dexamethasone/Povidone Eye Drops versus Artificial Tears for Treatment of Presumed Viral Conjunctivitis: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether topical dexamethasone 0.1%/povidone-iodine 0.4% reduces the duration of presumed viral conjunctivitis better than artificial tears and whether the treatment relieves the symptoms of this disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized, masked and controlled trial. One-hundred twenty-two patients with a clinical diagnosis of presumed viral conjunctivitis were randomized to either the treatment group or the control group. Physicians and patients were masked to the treatment. Swabs were taken from the conjunctival fornix for adenovirus PCR analyses. Patients in the treatment group received topical dexamethasone 0.1%/povidone-iodine 0.4% eye drops four times daily, and patients in the placebo group received artificial tears four times daily, both for seven days. Symptoms were recorded on the day of recruitment and at the time of a follow-up examination 5, 10 and 30 d later. The main outcome was duration of the disease. The others outcomes were overall discomfort, itching, foreign body sensation, tearing, redness, eyelid swelling, side effects of the eye drops, intraocular pressure and the incidence of subepithelial corneal infiltrates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no statistically significant difference between the treatment group and the control group in terms of the patients' symptoms, intraocular pressure and incidence of subepithelial cornea infiltrates during the entire follow-up period. Patients of the treatment group reported more stinging (p < 0.001) and a shorter conjunctivitis duration (9.4 ± 4.6 d in the dexamethasone 0.1%/povidone-iodine 0.4% group versus 11.8 ± 4.9 d in the artificial tears group, p = 0.009).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of topical dexamethasone 0.1%/povidone-iodine 0.4% eye drops four times daily appears to reduce the duration of conjunctivitis, although it causes more stinging than artificial tears.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and.
authors.forename: Roberto Damian Pacheco
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Rodrigo Pessoa Cavalcanti
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Lira
authors.forename: Ricardo Yuji
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Rafael Santos
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Zacchia
authors.forename: João Paulo Fernandes
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Felix
authors.forename: Andre Venancio Fernandes
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Carlos Eduardo Leite
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Arieta
authors.forename: Rosane Silvestre
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: de Castro
authors.forename: Sandra Helena Alves
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Bonon
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003236:Conjunctivitis, Viral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015828:Eye Infections, Viral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D065346:Lubricant Eye Drops / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011205:Povidone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D065346:Lubricant Eye Drops; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D003907:Dexamethasone; D011205:Povidone
keywords: Adenovirus; dexamethasone; povidone-iodine; viral conjunctivitis