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Intravitreal Injections and Face Masks: Endophthalmitis Risk Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Saeed Karimi1, Homayoun Nikkhah1,2,3, Amir Mohammadzadeh1,2
1Ophthalmic Research Center, Research Institute for Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Journal of Ophthalmic & Vision Research
|August 21, 2023
Summary
Face masks did not increase the risk of endophthalmitis after intravitreal bevacizumab injections. This study found no significant difference in infection rates between pre-COVID and COVID-19 eras.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Intravitreal injections are common treatments for retinal diseases.
- The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated widespread face mask use, raising concerns about potential infection risks in medical procedures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate if face mask protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic increased the risk of acute endophthalmitis following intravitreal injections.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective, single-center study compared acute endophthalmitis incidence after intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injections.
- Data from the pre-COVID era (March 2013-October 2019) were compared to the COVID-19 era (March 2020-April 2021).
Main Results:
- The incidence of endophthalmitis was 0.032% (3.2/10,000) in the pre-COVID era and 0.037% (3.7/10,000) in the COVID era.
- There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of post-IVB endophthalmitis between the two periods (P = 0.779).
Conclusions:
- Face masking protocols implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic do not appear to add risk for post-intravitreal injection endophthalmitis.
- Routine ophthalmological procedures can likely continue with standard safety measures.
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