The Effect of Antibiotics in the Irrigation Solution on Corneal Endothelial Function.

Kim, Jong Hyun; Kim, Ki San; Lee, Jong Hoon

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society 2000;41(6):1272-1278.
Published online June 1, 2000.

The Effect of Antibiotics in the Irrigation Solution on Corneal Endothelial Function.

Jong Hyun Kim, Ki San Kim, Jong Hoon Lee

Department of Ophthalmology Kangnam St.Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University Medical College, Seoul, Korea.

전방관류용액에 첨가한 항생제가 각막내피세포의 기능에 미치는 영향

김종현(Jong Hyun Kim),이종훈(Jong Hoon Lee),김기산(Ki San Kim)

Abstract

The practice of adding antibiotics to anterior chamber-irrigating solutions as a prophylaxis for endophthalmitis has been used recently.To evaluate corneal endothelial toxicity of different concentrations of antibiotics in irrigating solutions, rabbit corneas were mounted in the in-vitro dual-cham-bered specular microscope and the endothelium was perfused with glu-tathione-bicarbonate Ringer solution (GBR)containing antibiotics such as ofloxacin, vancomycin or cephapirin.Mate corneas were perfused with GBR alone and used as control.Corneal thickness was measured every 15 minutes throughout the perfusion period and corneal swelling rates were calculated. Swelling rates of corneas perfused with 2 /ml or 5 /ml ofloxacin, 60 microgram/ml or1 0 /ml vancomycin, and 10 /ml or 20 /ml cephapirin was not significantly different from that of control (p>0.05).The corneas perfused with 20 /ml cephapirin deswelled probably due to high osmolarity of it.Perfusion with 10 /ml vancomycin plus 5 /ml ofloxacin did not show corneal swelling compared to control (p>0.05).This study demonstrates that the above concentra-tions of antibiotics in irrigating solutions do not affect endothelial function of the rabbit cornea.

Key Words: Cephapirin;Corneal swelling rate;Irrigating solution;Ofloxacin;Vancomycin