HOME HELP CONTACT US FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS CURRENT ISSUE PAST ISSUES SEARCH		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Résumé Full Text Full Text (PDF) Rapid Responses: Submit a response Rapid Responses: View responses Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Rapid Responses are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Related articles in CFP Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Visscher, K. L. Articles by Thomas, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Visscher, K. L. Articles by Thomas, M.

Evidence-based treatment of acute infective conjunctivitis

Breaking the cycle of antibiotic prescribing

Cindy M. L. Hutnik, MD PhD
Associate Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Western Ontario in London and a staff physician at St Joseph’s Health Care in London.

Mary Thomas, MBBS CCFP
Lecturer in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto and a staff physician for the Southeast Toronto Family Health Team.

Correspondence: Ms Kari Lee Visscher, Office of Health Professions Student Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 1 King’s College Circle, Medical Sciences Building, Room 2171B, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8; telephone 647 271-5274; e-mailkari.visscher{at}utoronto.ca

OBJECTIVE To discover the best treatments for acute infective conjunctivitis and to discern whether antibiotics are necessary for the resolution of bacterial conjunctivitis in particular.

QUALITY OF EVIDENCE MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic reviews were searched. Findings were limited to full-text articles from core clinical journals in the English language, and are based on level I or level II evidence. Clinical Evidence was also searched, from which moderate-quality results have been cited.

MAIN MESSAGE Infective conjunctivitis should be managed conservatively, with antibiotics prescribed either after a delayed period if symptoms do not improve within 3 days of onset, or not at all. This approach helps to prevent the medicalization of the condition (reducing consultations for future occurrences) and discourages the unnecessary use of antibiotics, which might delay diagnosis of other serious red eye conditions. Physicians and patients should be educated on the self-limiting nature of the condition to increase compliance with conservative treatment and change the management expectations of parents and schools.

CONCLUSION Acute infective conjunctivitis is the most common ocular complaint dealt with in family practice; its viral and bacterial etiologies are difficult to distinguish on clinical grounds alone. Evidence suggests that properly educating patients with written information materials is the most effective way to manage this simple ailment and increase patient satisfaction.

Related articles in CFP:

The issue of public health

Bart J. Harvey
CFP 2009 55: 1057. [Full Text]  

La question de la santé publique

Bart J. Harvey
CFP 2009 55: 1059. [Full Text]  

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. M. Ohashi Antibiotics for acute conjunctivitis Can Fam Physician, January 1, 2010; 56(1): 18 - 18. [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Zabrodski Preaching to the choir Can Fam Physician, January 1, 2010; 56(1): 18 - 18. [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. M. Maxwell Treatment of conjunctivitis Can Fam Physician, January 1, 2010; 56(1): 18 - 18. [Full Text] [PDF]

Rapid Responses: