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JAMA Oct 2013Conjunctivitis is a common problem. (Review)
Review
IMPORTANCE
Conjunctivitis is a common problem.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the diagnosis, management, and treatment of conjunctivitis, including various antibiotics and alternatives to antibiotic use in infectious conjunctivitis and use of antihistamines and mast cell stabilizers in allergic conjunctivitis.
EVIDENCE REVIEW
A search of the literature published through March 2013, using PubMed, the ISI Web of Knowledge database, and the Cochrane Library was performed. Eligible articles were selected after review of titles, abstracts, and references.
FINDINGS
Viral conjunctivitis is the most common overall cause of infectious conjunctivitis and usually does not require treatment; the signs and symptoms at presentation are variable. Bacterial conjunctivitis is the second most common cause of infectious conjunctivitis, with most uncomplicated cases resolving in 1 to 2 weeks. Mattering and adherence of the eyelids on waking, lack of itching, and absence of a history of conjunctivitis are the strongest factors associated with bacterial conjunctivitis. Topical antibiotics decrease the duration of bacterial conjunctivitis and allow earlier return to school or work. Conjunctivitis secondary to sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia and gonorrhea requires systemic treatment in addition to topical antibiotic therapy. Allergic conjunctivitis is encountered in up to 40% of the population, but only a small proportion of these individuals seek medical help; itching is the most consistent sign in allergic conjunctivitis, and treatment consists of topical antihistamines and mast cell inhibitors.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
The majority of cases in bacterial conjunctivitis are self-limiting and no treatment is necessary in uncomplicated cases. However, conjunctivitis caused by gonorrhea or chlamydia and conjunctivitis in contact lens wearers should be treated with antibiotics. Treatment for viral conjunctivitis is supportive. Treatment with antihistamines and mast cell stabilizers alleviates the symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Conjunctivitis, Bacterial; Conjunctivitis, Viral; Humans; Sexually Transmitted Diseases
PubMed: 24150468
DOI: 10.1001/jama.2013.280318 -
Journal of Ophthalmic & Vision Research 2020Conjunctivitis is a commonly encountered condition in ophthalmology clinics throughout the world. In the management of suspected cases of conjunctivitis, alarming signs... (Review)
Review
Conjunctivitis is a commonly encountered condition in ophthalmology clinics throughout the world. In the management of suspected cases of conjunctivitis, alarming signs for more serious intraocular conditions, such as severe pain, decreased vision, and painful pupillary reaction, must be considered. Additionally, a thorough medical and ophthalmic history should be obtained and a thorough physical examination should be done in patients with atypical findings and chronic course. Concurrent physical exam findings with relevant history may reveal the presence of a systemic condition with involvement of the conjunctiva. Viral conjunctivitis remains to be the most common overall cause of conjunctivitis. Bacterial conjunctivitis is encountered less frequently and it is the second most common cause of infectious conjunctivitis. Allergic conjunctivitis is encountered in nearly half of the population and the findings include itching, mucoid discharge, chemosis, and eyelid edema. Long-term usage of eye drops with preservatives in a patient with conjunctival irritation and discharge points to the toxic conjunctivitis as the underlying etiology. Effective management of conjunctivitis includes timely diagnosis, appropriate differentiation of the various etiologies, and appropriate treatment.
PubMed: 32864068
DOI: 10.18502/jovr.v15i3.7456 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Mar 2023Acute bacterial conjunctivitis is an infection of the conjunctiva and is one of the most common ocular disorders in primary care. Antibiotics are generally prescribed on... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Acute bacterial conjunctivitis is an infection of the conjunctiva and is one of the most common ocular disorders in primary care. Antibiotics are generally prescribed on the basis that they may speed recovery, reduce persistence, and prevent keratitis. However, many cases of acute bacterial conjunctivitis are self-limited, resolving without antibiotic therapy. This Cochrane Review was first published in The Cochrane Library in 1999, then updated in 2006, 2012, and 2022.
OBJECTIVES
To assess the benefits and side effects of antibiotic therapy in the management of acute bacterial conjunctivitis.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched CENTRAL (which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Group Trials Register) (The Cochrane Library 2022, Issue 5), MEDLINE (January 1950 to May 2022), Embase (January 1980 to May 2022), the metaRegister of Controlled Trials (mRCT) (www.controlled-trials.com), ClinicalTrials.gov (www.
CLINICALTRIALS
gov), and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (www.who.int/ictrp/search/en). We did not use any date or language restrictions in the electronic searches for trials. We last searched the electronic databases in May 2022. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in which any form of antibiotic treatment, with or without steroid, had been compared with placebo/vehicle in the management of acute bacterial conjunctivitis. This included topical and systemic antibiotic treatments.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two authors independently reviewed the titles and abstracts of identified studies. We assessed the full text of all potentially relevant studies and determined the included RCTs, which were further assessed for risk of bias using Cochrane methodology. We performed data extraction in a standardized manner and conducted random-effects meta-analyses using RevMan Web.
MAIN RESULTS
We included 21 eligible RCTs, 10 of which were newly identified in this update. A total of 8805 participants were randomized. All treatments were topical in the form of drops or ointment. The trials were heterogeneous in terms of their eligibility criteria, the nature of the intervention (antibiotic drug class, which included fluoroquinolones [FQs] and non-FQs; dosage frequency; duration of treatment), the outcomes assessed and the time points of assessment. We judged one trial to be of high risk of bias, four as low risk of bias, and the others as raising some concerns. Based on intention-to-treat (ITT) population, antibiotics likely improved clinical cure (resolution of clinical symptoms or signs) by 26% (RR 1.26, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.46; 5 trials, 1474 participants; moderate certainty) as compared with placebo. Subgroup analysis showed no differences by antibiotic class (P = 0.67) or treatment duration (P = 0.60). In the placebo group, 55.5% (408/735) of participants had spontaneous clinical resolution by days 4 to 9 versus 68.2% (504/739) of participants treated with an antibiotic. Based on modified ITT population, in which participants were analyzed after randomization on the basis of positive microbiological culture, antibiotics likely increased microbiological cure (RR 1.53, 95% CI 1.34 to 1.74; 10 trials, 2827 participants) compared with placebo at the end of therapy; there were no subgroup differences by drug class (P = 0.60). No study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of antibiotic treatment. Patients receiving antibiotics had a lower risk of treatment incompletion than those in the placebo group (RR 0.64, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.78; 13 trials, 5573 participants; moderate certainty) and were 27% less likely to have persistent clinical infection (RR 0.73, 95% CI 0.65 to 0.81; 19 trials, 5280 participants; moderate certainty). There was no evidence of serious systemic side effects reported in either the antibiotic or placebo group (very low certainty). When compared with placebo, FQs (RR 0.70, 95% CI 0.54 to 0.90) but not non-FQs (RR 4.05, 95% CI 1.36 to 12.00) may result in fewer participants with ocular side effects. However, the estimated effects were of very low certainty.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
The findings of this update suggest that the use of topical antibiotics is associated with a modestly improved chance of resolution in comparison to the use of placebo. Since no evidence of serious side effects was reported, use of antibiotics may therefore be considered to achieve better clinical and microbiologic efficacy than placebo. Increasing the proportion of participants with clinical cure or increasing the speed of recovery or both are important for individual return to work or school, allowing people to regain quality of life. Future studies may examine antiseptic treatments with topical antibiotics for reasons of cost and growing antibiotic resistance.
Topics: Humans; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Conjunctivitis, Bacterial; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 36912752
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD001211.pub4 -
JAMA Network Open Oct 2022Although topical antibiotics are often prescribed for treating acute infective conjunctivitis in children, their efficacy is uncertain. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
IMPORTANCE
Although topical antibiotics are often prescribed for treating acute infective conjunctivitis in children, their efficacy is uncertain.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the efficacy of topical antibiotic therapy for acute infective conjunctivitis.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
A randomized clinical trial was conducted in primary health care in Oulu, Finland, from October 15, 2014, to February 7, 2020. Children aged 6 months to 7 years with acute infective conjunctivitis were eligible for enrollment. The participants were followed up for 14 days. A subsequent meta-analysis included the present trial and 3 previous randomized clinical trials enrolling pediatric patients aged 1 month to 18 years with acute infective conjunctivitis.
INTERVENTIONS
Participants in the present randomized clinical trial were randomized to moxifloxacin eye drops, placebo eye drops, or no intervention.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
The primary outcome in the present randomized clinical trial was time to clinical cure (in days); in the meta-analysis, the primary outcome was the proportion of participants with conjunctival symptoms on days 3 to 6.
RESULTS
The randomized clinical trial included 88 participants (46 [52%] girls), of whom 30 were randomized to moxifloxacin eye drops (mean [SD] age, 2.8 [1.6] years), 27 to placebo eye drops (mean [SD], age 3.0 [1.3] years), and 31 to no intervention (mean [SD] age, 3.2 [1.8] years). The time to clinical cure was significantly shorter in the moxifloxacin eye drop group than in the no intervention group (3.8 vs 5.7 days; difference, -1.9 days; 95% CI, -3.7 to -0.1 days; P = .04), while in the survival analysis both moxifloxacin and placebo eye drops significantly shortened the time to clinical cure relative to no intervention. In the meta-analysis, a total of 584 children were randomized (300 to topical antibiotics and 284 to a placebo), and the use of topical antibiotics was associated with a significant reduction in the proportion of children who had symptoms of conjunctivitis on days 3 to 6 compared with placebo eye drops (odds ratio, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.39 to 0.91).
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
In this randomized clinical trial and systematic review and meta-analysis, topical antibiotics were associated with significantly shorter durations of conjunctival symptoms in children with acute infective conjunctivitis.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
ClinicalTrialsRegister.eu Identifier: 2013-005623-16.
Topics: Acute Disease; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Child; Child, Preschool; Conjunctivitis; Female; Humans; Male; Moxifloxacin; Ophthalmic Solutions; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 36194412
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.34459 -
BMJ Clinical Evidence Feb 2012Most cases of conjunctivitis in adults are probably due to viral infection, but children are more likely to develop bacterial conjunctivitis than they are viral forms.... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Most cases of conjunctivitis in adults are probably due to viral infection, but children are more likely to develop bacterial conjunctivitis than they are viral forms. The main bacterial pathogens are Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae in adults and children, and Moraxella catarrhalis in children. Contact lens wearers may be more likely to develop gram-negative infections. Bacterial keratitis occurs in up to 30 per 100,000 contact lens wearers.
METHODS AND OUTCOMES
We conducted a systematic review and aimed to answer the following clinical questions: What are the effects of empirical treatment in adults and children with suspected bacterial conjunctivitis? What are the effects of treatment in adults and children with bacteriologically confirmed bacterial conjunctivitis? What are the effects of treatment in adults and children with clinically confirmed gonococcal conjunctivitis? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and other important databases up to July 2011 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically; please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
RESULTS
We found 44 systematic reviews, RCTs, or observational studies that met our inclusion criteria. We performed a GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence for interventions.
CONCLUSIONS
In this systematic review we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: ocular decongestants, oral antibiotics, parenteral antibiotics, saline, topical antibiotics, and warm compresses.
Topics: Acute Disease; Conjunctivitis; Conjunctivitis, Bacterial; Gonorrhea; Humans; Ophthalmic Solutions; United States Food and Drug Administration
PubMed: 22348418
DOI: No ID Found -
BMJ Clinical Evidence Feb 2016Active trachoma is caused by chronic infection of the conjunctiva by Chlamydia trachomatis, and is the world's leading infectious cause of blindness. Infection can lead... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Active trachoma is caused by chronic infection of the conjunctiva by Chlamydia trachomatis, and is the world's leading infectious cause of blindness. Infection can lead to: scarring of the tarsal conjunctiva; inversion of the eyelashes (trichiasis), so that they abrade the cornea; and corneal opacity, resulting in blindness. Trachoma is a disease of poverty, overcrowding, and poor sanitation. Active disease affects mainly children, but adults are at increased risk of scarring.
METHODS AND OUTCOMES
We conducted a systematic overview, aiming to answer the following clinical question: What are the effects of interventions to prevent scarring trachoma by reducing the prevalence of active trachoma? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library and other important databases up to December 2014 (Clinical Evidence overviews are updated periodically; please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this overview).
RESULTS
At this update, searching of electronic databases retrieved 170 studies. After deduplication and removal of conference abstracts, 96 records were screened for inclusion in the overview. Appraisal of titles and abstracts led to the exclusion of 61 studies and the further review of 35 full publications. Of the 35 full articles evaluated, three previously included systematic reviews were updated, one systematic review and two RCTs were added at this update, and two RCTs and one further report were added the Comment sections. We performed a GRADE evaluation for nine PICO combinations.
CONCLUSIONS
In this systematic overview, we categorised the efficacy for seven interventions based on information about the effectiveness and safety of antibiotics, face washing (alone or plus topical tetracycline), fly control (through the provision of pit latrines, and using insecticide alone or plus antibiotics), and health education.
Topics: Chlamydia trachomatis; Health Education; Humans; Insect Control; Sanitation; Tetracycline; Trachoma
PubMed: 26860629
DOI: No ID Found -
BMJ Clinical Evidence Mar 2010Most cases of conjunctivitis in adults are probably due to viral infection, but children are more likely to develop bacterial conjunctivitis than they are viral forms.... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Most cases of conjunctivitis in adults are probably due to viral infection, but children are more likely to develop bacterial conjunctivitis than they are viral forms. The main bacterial pathogens are Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae in adults and children, and Moraxella catarrhalis in children. Contact lens wearers may be more likely to develop gram-negative infections. Bacterial keratitis occurs in up to 30 per 100,000 contact lens wearers.
METHODS AND OUTCOMES
We conducted a systematic review and aimed to answer the following clinical questions: What are the effects of empirical treatment in adults and children with suspected bacterial conjunctivitis? What are the effects of treatment in adults and children with bacteriologically confirmed bacterial conjunctivitis? What are the effects of treatment in adults and children with clinically confirmed gonococcal conjunctivitis? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and other important databases up to July 2009 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically; please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
RESULTS
We found 40 systematic reviews, RCTs, or observational studies that met our inclusion criteria. We performed a GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence for interventions.
CONCLUSIONS
In this systematic review we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: ocular decongestants; oral antibiotics; parenteral antibiotics; saline; topical antibiotics; and warm compresses.
Topics: Acute Disease; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Conjunctivitis, Bacterial; Gonorrhea; Humans; Moraxella catarrhalis; Ophthalmic Solutions
PubMed: 21718563
DOI: No ID Found -
Journal of the Pediatric Infectious... Aug 2018With the continued high prevalence of chlamydia worldwide and high risk of transfer from mothers to their infant during delivery, a need for safe and effective therapies... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
With the continued high prevalence of chlamydia worldwide and high risk of transfer from mothers to their infant during delivery, a need for safe and effective therapies for infants who acquire a chlamydial infection remains. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of antibiotic treatments, including oral erythromycin, azithromycin, and trimethoprim, for neonatal chlamydial conjunctivitis.
METHODS
We searched Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) from their inception to July 14, 2017. We included randomized and nonrandomized studies that evaluated the effects of erythromycin, azithromycin, or trimethoprim in neonates with chlamydial conjunctivitis. A meta-analysis using a random-effects generic inverse-variance method was performed, and the certainty of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.
RESULTS
We found 12 studies (n = 292 neonates) and were able to meta-analyze 7 studies that used erythromycin at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight per day for 14 days. The clinical and microbiological cure were 96% (95% confidence interval [CI], 94%-100%) and 97% (95% CI, 95%-99%), respectively, and adverse gastrointestinal effects occurred in 14% (95% CI, 1%-28%) of the neonates. The microbiological cure in the study that assessed azithromycin at 20 mg/kg per day were 60% (95% CI, 27%-93%) when it was given in a single dose and 86% (95% CI, 61%-100%) when given in a 3-day course. Two studies reported compliance with treatments, and 1 study reported no pyloric stenosis events. Because of the risk of bias and the few neonates included across the studies, the certainty of evidence is low to very low. No studies assessed trimethoprim.
CONCLUSIONS
Although evidence suggests that erythromycin at 50 mg/kg per day for 14 days results in higher numbers of cure than does azithromycin, compliance and risk of pyloric stenosis related to their use for other infections in neonates will factor into treatment recommendations. More data are needed to compare these treatments directly.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Azithromycin; Bias; Chlamydia Infections; Chlamydia trachomatis; Conjunctivitis, Bacterial; Drug Administration Schedule; Erythromycin; Female; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Male; Pyloric Stenosis; Risk Factors; Trimethoprim
PubMed: 30007329
DOI: 10.1093/jpids/piy060 -
The British Journal of General Practice... Dec 2005Uncertainty remains about the extent to which findings from our previously published systematic review and meta-analysis of double-blind, randomised controlled trials of... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Uncertainty remains about the extent to which findings from our previously published systematic review and meta-analysis of double-blind, randomised controlled trials of topical antibiotics compared with placebo in the management of patients with acute bacterial conjunctivitis treated in secondary care outpatient settings are generalisable to the management of the condition in primary care settings. We updated our review, undertaking searches, methodological assessment, data extraction and analysis according to a pre-defined protocol. In addition to the previous three included studies, we identified two additional double-blind primary care trials, one which compares fusidic acid gel with placebo gel and one which compares chloramphenicol eye drops with placebo eye drops in children. Meta-analyses of clinical and microbiological remission data reveal that topical antibiotics are of benefit in improving early (days 2-5) clinical (relative risk [RR] = 1.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.05 to 1.45) and microbiological (RR = 1.77, 95% CI = 1.23 to 2.54) remission rates; later (days 6-10) data reveal that these early advantages in clinical (RR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.02 to 1.21) and microbiological cure rates are reduced (RR 1.56, 95% CI = 1.17 to 2.09), but persist. Most cases of acute bacterial conjunctivitis resolve spontaneously. While topical antibiotics are associated with significantly improved rates of early (days 2-5) clinical remission, this benefit is marginal for later remission (days 6-10).
Topics: Acute Disease; Administration, Topical; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Conjunctivitis, Bacterial; Humans; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 16378567
DOI: No ID Found -
BMJ Clinical Evidence Nov 2007Active trachoma is caused by chronic infection of the conjunctiva by Chlamydia trachomatis, and is the world's leading infectious cause of blindness. Infection can lead... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Active trachoma is caused by chronic infection of the conjunctiva by Chlamydia trachomatis, and is the world's leading infectious cause of blindness. Infection can lead to scarring of the tarsal conjunctiva, inversion of the eyelashes so that they abrade the cornea (trichiasis), and corneal opacity, leading to blindness. Trachoma is a disease of poverty, overcrowding, and poor sanitation. Active disease affects mainly children, but adults are at increased risk of scarring.
METHODS AND OUTCOMES
We conducted a systematic review and aimed to answer the following clinical questions: What are the effects of interventions to prevent scarring trachoma by reducing the prevalence of active trachoma? What are the effects of eye lid surgery for entropion and trichiasis? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library and other important databases up to January 2006 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically, please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
RESULTS
We found 23 systematic reviews, RCTs, or observational studies that met our inclusion criteria. We performed a GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence for interventions.
CONCLUSIONS
In this systematic review we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: antibiotics, face washing (alone or plus topical tetracycline), fly control (through the provision of pit latrines, and using insecticide), health education, and lid surgery (bilamellar tarsal rotation, or tarsal advance and rotation).
Topics: Administration, Oral; Blindness; Chlamydia trachomatis; Entropion; Eyelashes; Humans; Sanitation; Trachoma
PubMed: 19450349
DOI: No ID Found