Intracameral cefuroxime may help reduce endophthalmitis

DUBLIN, Ireland — Preliminary results from a 2-year study on intracameral cefuroxime use in patients undergoing cataract surgery indicate the drug may be useful for antibiotic prophylaxis of endophthalmitis, according to a press release. As a result, recruitment into the trial has been terminated, and the researchers have recommended the study be unmasked.

The European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons has terminated recruitment for its 2-year study of antibiotic prophylaxis of endophthalmitis after cataract surgery, the release said.

The risk of contracting endophthalmitis after cataract surgery “is significantly reduced by an intracameral injection of cefuroxime at the end of surgery,” the release said. Of the 13,698 patients with a complete follow-up, the incidence of endopthalmitis in the treatment groups not receiving cefuroxime (23 of 6,862 patients) was almost five times as high as those who did receive the intracameral injection (five of 6,836 patients).

“As not all follow-up procedures have been completed, it is possible that further cases of endophthalmitis may be reported, however it is not expected that this will alter the main conclusion,” the release noted.

The group cited two reasons for the enrollment termination: the “clear beneficial effect” of using the drug and that the background rate of endophthalmitis was “higher than anticipated from other reported studies,” said Peter Barry, MD, chairman and originator of the study.

Recruitment for the study began in Sept. 2003 at 24 ophthalmology centers across Europe, the release noted.