PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Bamashmus, Mahfouth A.
AU  - Al-Akily, Saleh A.
AU  - Saleh, Mahmoud F.
TI  - Prophylactic measures used for the prevention of postoperative endophthalmitis after cataract surgery. A survey of routine practice in Yemen
DP  - 2010 Mar 01
TA  - Saudi Medical Journal
PG  - 293--298
VI  - 31
IP  - 3
4099  - http://smj.org.sa/content/31/3/293.short
4100  - http://smj.org.sa/content/31/3/293.full
SO  - Saudi Med J2010 Mar 01; 31
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study documents the current practice of perioperative prophylactic methods used for cataract surgery in Yemen. It investigates the routine practice in antibiotic and antiseptic use in preventing postoperative endophthalmitis.METHODS: This is a non-comparative survey. A telephone interview survey was conducted with 100 ophthalmologists' from different governorates in Yemen in September 2008. A questionnaire was used to ask the ophthalmic surgeons.RESULTS: The practices of 100 ophthalmologists were contacted. Five ophthalmologists did not perform cataract surgery routinely. Of the remaining 95 respondents, all performed extracapsular cataract extraction and 5 also performed phacoemulsification. Preoperative topical antibiotics were routinely prescribed by 12 (12.6%) cataract surgeons. Before the start of the procedure, 21 (22.1%) used 10% povidone-iodine to prepare the skin and 5 (5.3%) instilled 5% povidone-iodine in the conjunctival sac. Intracameral antibiotics or antibiotic in the irrigating fluid were not given by any of the surgeons. All gave subconjunctival antibiotics mostly gentamicin. Postoperatively, 25 (26.3%) used a combination steroid and antibiotic eyedrop and 70 (73.7%) gave a separate eyedrop and 39 (41.1%) gave systemic antibiotics.CONCLUSION: This study reveals a wide variation of prophylactic measures used by Yemeni ophthalmologists. All surgeons used intraoperative subconjunctival gentamicin and postoperative topical antibiotic. A significant majority (94.7%) are failing to use preoperative conjunctival povidone-iodine, despite its widespread acceptance as the only convincingly proven prophylactic method. The routine practices adopted reflect personal preferences, and were not necessarily evidence-based.