From the Research
For preoperative management of retinal detachment, ofloxacin ophthalmic solution 0.3% should be administered as 1-2 drops in the affected eye(s) four times daily, beginning 3 days before surgery, as this regimen has been shown to significantly reduce the contamination rate of microsurgical knives 1. The purpose of preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis is to reduce the bacterial load on the ocular surface before invasive procedures, thereby decreasing the risk of postoperative endophthalmitis. Ofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic that works by inhibiting bacterial DNA gyrase, preventing bacterial DNA replication. It provides broad-spectrum coverage against many common ocular pathogens. Some key points to consider when administering ofloxacin eye drops include:
- Patients should be instructed to wash their hands thoroughly before administration
- Avoid touching the dropper tip to any surface, including the eye
- Apply gentle pressure to the inner corner of the eye for 1-2 minutes after instillation to minimize systemic absorption
- If using multiple eye medications, patients should wait at least 5 minutes between different eye drops to prevent washout effects It's also important to note that the quality of evidence for the specific use of ofloxacin in retinal detachment surgery is limited, and the current recommendations are based on the available data from studies such as the one published in 2004 1, which demonstrated the effectiveness of a 3-day course of ofloxacin in reducing microsurgical knife contamination. Additionally, other studies have investigated the penetration of ofloxacin into the eye after topical and intravenous administration 2, and the prognostic features of preoperative OCT in retinal detachments 3, but the most relevant and recent study for guiding the use of ofloxacin in this context is the one from 2004 1.