Fusidic acid in infections of the external eye

A newly developed 1% eye preparation of the potent antistaphylococcal antibiotic fusidic acid, showed an excellent clinical effect in 206 Egyptian children with external eye infections. The 248 patients included in the study were randomized, in the ratio 5:1, to either fusidic acid or chloramphenicol 0.5% eye drops. Both preparations were given four to six times daily for one week. Bacterial conjunctivitis was diagnosed in 56% of the children. Offending eye pathogens were mainly Staphylococcus aureus (60%), Haemophilus aegyptius (10%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (13%) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (6%). The overall clinical success rate in children with bacterial conjunctivitis was 85% with fusidic acid, compared to 48% with chloramphenicol (p less than 0.001). The better effect of fusidic acid could be ascribed to a lower frequency of in vitro resistance (16%) in comparison to chloramphenicol (55%). Both drugs were apparently well tolerated and no side-effects were observed.