Effect of Topical Povidone-Iodine during the First Week after Cataract Surgery

Rohr, Weon Seuk; Rah, Sang Hoon; Lee, Jong Hyuck

Abstract

Topical povidone-iodine ophthalmic solution prevents a proliferation of con-junctival bacterial colony-forming units and decreases the species compared with antibiotic. We sought to determine whether these beneficial effects of povidone-iodine could be sustained during the first postoperative week. In 36 eyes of 28 consecutive patients, one or two drops of either a broadspectrum antibiotics[Ofloxacin(r)] or povidoneiodine 5% were placed in the treated eye or eyes at the conclusion of cataract surgery and three times daily during the first postoperative week. Bacterial cultures were taken from both eyes at the end of surgery before instillation of the eyedrops and again 1 week later. Twenty untreated eyes served as a control group. During the first postoperative week, the number of colonyforming units and species increased in both treatment groups. Relative to the control group, both medications effectively reduced the mean number of colonyforming units at 1 week, but their effects on colony-forming units did not significantly differ from each other. At 1 week, the species count increased 242% in the antibiotic group but only 104% in the povidone-iodine group. Compared to the control group, eyes that received povidoneiodine had a significantly lower species count[p<0.0 5]. Povidone-iodine ophthalmic solution is an alternative to postoperative topical antibiotics because of its effectiveness in controling conjunctival bacterial colony-forming units and species, its relatively low cost, and its easy availability.