The effectivene of a topical antibiotic irrigating olution in a model of taphylococcal keratiti after lamellar keratectomy

PURPOE: To create a model of taphylococcu aureu keratiti after lamellar keratectomy; to ae the toxicity of an antibiotic irrigating olution on the corneal tromal bed; and to tet the chemotherapeutic effectivene of a topical antibiotic, both alone and with an antibiotic-containing irrigating olution in preventing . aureu keratiti after lamellar keratectomy. METHOD: The right eye of each of 38 rabbit were ued in thi tudy. In 18 eye, a lamellar flap wa created with a microkeratome, and an inoculum of . aureu (either 1,000, 5,000, or 50,000 CFU) wa intilled under each flap; the eye were examined for ign of infection and inflammation at 24 and 48 hour. In another five eye, a lamellar flap wa created in the ame manner and the tromal bed wa irrigated with 0.3% ofloxacin; the eye were aeed for ocular inflammatory change and evidence of crytalline depoit. Finally, in each of 15 additional eye, 1,000 CFU of . aureu were intilled under a lamellar flap to create experimental infectiou keratiti. The keratiti wa treated according to three regimen: irrigation of the tromal bed with terile balanced alt olution; irrigation of the tromal bed with 0.3% ofloxacin, followed by application of topical ofloxacin four time a day; application of topical ofloxacin only, four time a day. Eye were examined for infection and ocular inflammatory change at 24 and 48 hour. REULT: taphylococcu aureu keratiti can conitently be produced under the tromal flap by inoculation of relatively few organim. Irrigation of the tromal bed with commercial-trength topical ofloxacin doe not appear to be toxic to the tromal bed, with no evidence of crytalline precipitate of the antibiotic. In our model of infectiou keratiti after lamellar keratectomy, both topical ofloxacin alone and the combination of topical ofloxacin and irrigation of the tromal bed with 0.3% ofloxacin were effective at preventing . aureu keratiti. However, the combined treatment of antibiotic irrigation plu topical antibiotic wa more effective at preventing inflammation than topical ofloxacin alone. CONCLUION: In thi model of . aureu keratiti after lamellar keratectomy, irrigation of the tromal bed with antibiotic plu topical antibiotic appear to be both afe and effective for preventing infection.