Fucithalmic, chloramphenicol or no treatment after squint surgery in children. A single blind randomised study

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Pediatric Surgery
• Infectious Disease Prevention

Background:

• Strabismus surgery in children carries a risk of post-operative bacterial conjunctivitis.
• Standard post-operative care often involves antibiotic eye treatments.
• Evaluating the efficacy and safety of different antibiotic regimens is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of fucithalmic drops versus chloramphenicol ointment in preventing post-operative bacterial conjunctivitis in children undergoing strabismus surgery.
• To assess the feasibility of 'no treatment' as a control group.
• To evaluate parental adherence to prescribed topical antibiotic treatments.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 104 children post-strabismus surgery.
• Three post-operative treatment groups: fucithalmic drops, chloramphenicol ointment, and no treatment.
• Single-blind clinical assessment and parental questionnaires were used to evaluate outcomes and adherence.

Main Results:

• The 'no treatment' group was discontinued early due to a high incidence of severe mucopurulent conjunctivitis.
• Both fucithalmic drops and chloramphenicol ointment were effective in preventing bacterial conjunctivitis.
• Parents demonstrated high adherence to applying the prescribed eye treatments.

Conclusions:

• Post-operative antibiotic prophylaxis is necessary following strabismus surgery in pediatric patients.
• Fucithalmic viscous drops are an effective and suitable alternative to chloramphenicol ointment for preventing bacterial conjunctivitis.
• The study supports the use of topical antibiotics to reduce post-surgical infectious complications in pediatric eye surgery.