Crede’s method in eye water finds a nanomedicine base: a potential candidate to control ophthalmia neonatorum

Abstract

AbstractLethal eye infections of newborns occur mostly due to their passage through the contaminated birth canal. In the pre-antibiotic era blindness from such infections was most challenging. This scenario changed after the 1880s with the use of Crede’s method (a drop of 2.0% silver nitrate solution into newborn’s eyes which was later reduced to 1.0%). This research is focused on finding the structure-function relationship between silver nitrate and tears which offer antimicrobial action. A reinvestigation of Crede’s method revealed a light-dependent instant formation of silver oxide nanoparticles (sizes 20–70 nm) with strong antimicrobial action against ocular pathogens. Nano-therapy would be the key reason behind the widely accepted use of silver nitrate eye drop as a prophylactic agent prior to the discovery of antibiotics. A scientific view on the age-old Crede’s method explores the use of nano-therapy as a prophylactic agent. When routine prophylaxis with topical antibiotics brings the risk of resistance, Crede’s method may, in the near future, offer a way to fight against ophthalmia neonatorum (ON) caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens.