Antibiotic eye drops prescription patterns by orthokeratology practitioners in China and the development of antibiotic usage guidelines

Abstract

PurposeTo investigate antibiotic eye drops prescribing patterns of contact lens practitioners in Mainland China for orthokeratology (ortho-k) patients and to develop guidelines for their use. MethodsA questionnaire on their antibiotic prescribing habits was administered to eye care practitioners (ECP) involved in ortho-k lens fitting nationwide via an official online account. Multiple logistic regression models were used to assess the relationships between prescribing habits and demographics. ResultsA total of 555 ECP completed the survey, of whom 50.5 % were optometrists (non-medical degree). About 30 % of the respondents routinely prescribed antibiotic eye drops for prophylactic use before and/or after commencement of ortho-k treatment. Forty one percent of the respondents dispensed antibiotics to patients for emergency use without giving written instructions, 48.5 % used antibiotic eye drops to wet fluorescein strips during ortho-k lens fitting, and 44.9 % considered treating corneal infiltrate(s) with antibiotics to be appropriate. A set of guidelines, including when to use antibiotic eye drops during ortho-k lens treatment and their proper use, stratified by different corneal conditions, was developed. ConclusionsInappropriate use of antibiotic eye drops appeared to be common among ortho-k practitioners in Mainland China. Taking into account deficiencies and errors identified from the survey, a set of guidelines based on best practice was developed and can serve to provide advice for proper use of antibiotics in ortho-k practice.