ABSTRACT

To evaluate the microbiological and clinical efficiency of topical netilmicin in the treatment of acute bacterial conjunctivitis.

This randomized, prospective study was performed in 51 patients with acute bacterial conjunctivitis. Topical netilmicin on eyes were applied 4 times a day up to 10 days. Patients were examined at the time of diagnosis and after 5 and 10 days. Clinical efficacy was measured as cumulative sum score of the signs and symptoms of acute bacterial conjunctivitis. Microbiological assessment was made by conjunctival swab, culture and sensitivity test with disc diffusion method.

Drug efficacy assessment was restricted only to patients with positive baseline culture results (n: 30). At baseline culture, grampositive bacteria accounted for 90% of isolates, whereas gram-negative organisms were recovered in 10% of isolates. All isolates recovered in culture were sensitive to netilmicin (100%).

Netilmicin is a safe and effective antibiotic that can be used as firs-line therapy for the treatment of acute bacterial conjunctivitis.

Keywords: Conjunctivitis, netilmicin, culture antibiogram