Endophthalmiti Aociated with Intravitreal Anti-Vacular Endothelial Growth Factor Therapy Injection in An Office etting Original Reearch Article

Purpoe To determine the incidence of endophthalmiti following intravitreal injection of anti-vacular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agent. Deign A retropective interventional cae erie. Method A total of 10,254 intravitreal anti-VEGF injection (406 pegaptanib, 3,501 bevacizumab, and 6,347 ranibizumab) were performed from January 5, 2005 to October 18, 2007. The number of the injection wa determined from the injection log book and billing record. The injection were performed a an office baed procedure with ue of povidone-iodine a a part of preinjection preparation. Preinjection antibiotic, eye drape, or urgical attire were not ued. The main outcome meaure were the incidence of upected and proven endophthalmiti. Reult There were three cae of upected endophthalmiti, one cae following bevacizumab injection and two cae following ranibizumab injection. There wa no cae of culture-proven endophthalmiti. All three patient regained their preinjection viual acuity. The incidence of upected endophthalmiti wa 0.029% (95% confidence interval, 0.006% to 0.085%). There wa no difference in the incidence of endophthalmiti between ranibizumab and bevacizumab injection (P = .6). Concluion Although there i no conenu regarding the intravitreal injection procedure technique, the incidence of upected endophthalmiti wa very low in a large erie of injected patient in a community etting and the incidence compare favorably with that reported in clinical trial where much more extenive preinjection preparation wa mandated. We found no difference in the endophthalmiti rik of patient receiving bevacizumab a compared with ranibizumab.