Modern Aspects of the Treatment of Acute Bacterial Postoperative Endophthalmitis

Abstract

Acute bacterial postoperative endophthalmitis (AE) is a destructive intraocular infection with a tendency to an increase of morbidity and prevalence. This phenomenon is contributed by worldwide increase of surgical activity together with an increase of life expectancy. Nowadays AE prevalence in the best ophthalmic clinics of the world varies from 0.039% to 0.59%. Modern approaches to complex treatment of acute bacterial postoperative endophthalmitis are described in details in EVS 1995 and ESCRS 2013 investigations where the two main standards — “gold” and “silver” — are reflected. “Gold standard” includes 3-port vitrectomy with bacterial seeding of anterior chamber and vitreous cavity content and intravitreal antibiotics injection at the final step of operation within 1 hour after diagnosing acute endophthalmitis. Use of “silver standard” is acceptable in absence of vitreoretinal operation room and trained surgeon, that is, in case if full vitreoretinal surgery is impossible. In such cases surgical intervention is limited by taking vitreous cavity and anterior chamber content for bacterial seeding with intravitreal antibiotics injection at the final step of operation. Nowadays surgeons have the task not only to suppress infection and preserve the eye as an organ, but also to preserve maximal possible visual functions. The review deals with the questions of antibiotics choice with sufficient antibacterial spectrum and minimal toxicity. Questions of modern antibiotics pharmacokinetics and influencing factors such as molecular mass of the antibiotic, the extent of vitreous liquefaction, solubility coefficient of the antibiotic, the extent of eyeball inflammation, status of iris-lens diaphragm and vitreous cavity (phakic, aphakic, pseudophakic, avitreal eye, silicone tamponade), density of antibiotic solution are being discussed. Features and advantages of vitreal surgery are considered. Choice of vitreous body substitutes which are capable to improve anatomic results of treatment is analyzed. Thus, search for most effective treatment algorithm for acute bacterial endophthalmitis is still going on.