Impact of topical moxifloxacin prophylaxis and povidone iodine on conjunctival bacterial flora in patients receiving intravitreal injections in a tertiary healthcare center in India.

Abstract

To assess the efficacy of 3 days of topical moxifloxacin in combination with povidone-iodine (PVI) versus moxifloxacin/PVI alone in eliminating conjunctival bacterial flora in patients scheduled to undergo intravitreal injections (IVI). A prospective randomized comparative study in which 120 patients scheduled to undergo IVI at a tertiary care hospital in New Delhi were selected. Study patients were randomized into two groups. Both the groups received self-administration of moxifloxacin for 3 days prior to injection, except in Group B where it was preceded by PVI. Cultures were obtained at different time intervals, such as in Group A before and after applying moxifloxacin (for 3 days) and once again after applying PVI just before the procedure in the operating room, whereas in Group B first two samples were taken before and after applying PVI and the last sample was taken on the day of the procedure after 3 days of moxifloxacin application. A statistical significance was seen between moxifloxacin prophylaxis and resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) (P = 0.0001), which implies that frequent use of antibiotic prophylaxis will ultimately lead to the formation of resistant organisms in the conjunctival flora, especially when repeated IVI are given. We could not establish any additional benefits of topical moxifloxacin prophylaxis with regard to a reduction in conjunctival flora when compared with PVI 5%. PVI can be used as an efficient monotherapy in patients undergoing repeated IVI.