Thermosensitive hydrogel as an in situ gelling antimicrobial ocular dressing

Microbial keratitis is a severe ocular condition and one of the most prevalent causes of corneal scarring and associated blindness worldwide. Risk factors include contact lens use, ocular trauma, ocular surface disease and immunosuppression. Initial clinical management mandates intensive (hourly or more frequent) topical administration of broad spectrum antimicrobial therapy for at least 48h, which may require hospital admission, followed by tailored therapy based on microbiological investigation and the institution of strategies to reduce inflammation and promote healing. In this work we report an ocular wound dressing which can encapsulate and give sustained release of different antibiotics. The use of this dressing would allow patients to have eye drops on a 4 hourly basis, thereby facilitating treatment compliance and reducing hospital admissions.