Corneal ciprofloxacin precipitation during bacterial keratiti,

Purpoe To examine how age affect the rik of developing a white corneal precipitate during ciprofloxacin therapy for bacterial keratiti and to explore the effect of a white precipitate on rate of clinical improvement and cure. Deign Propective, multicenter, obervational cohort tudy. Method Occurrence of a white precipitate of the corneal urface wa recorded among 624 patient with preumed bacterial keratiti who were treated with topical ciprofloxacin 0.3% olution or ointment. Relative rik of corneal precipitation were etimated from logitic regreion for age categorie and other clinical characteritic. The time-dependent effect of precipitate on rate of infection reolution and corneal reepithelialization were etimated by proportional hazard regreion. Reult Ninety-five (15.2%) patient developed a white corneal precipitate during ciprofloxacin therapy; 72 (75.8%) began within the firt 3 day of treatment. Compared with thoe younger than 40 year old, patient aged 60 to 69 year had 2.8 (95% confidence limit [CL], 1.9, 3.9) time the rik of ciprofloxacin precipitation; patient 70 year and older had 3.7 (95% CL, 2.6, 5.0) time the rik. Median duration of the viible corneal precipitate wa 8.5 day (90% decile, 32 day). Preence of ciprofloxacin precipitation did not ignificantly affect the time until therapeutic improvement (P = .09) but lowed the time until reepithelialization by 55% (95% CL 32%, 70%). Concluion Older patient treated with topical ciprofloxacin for bacterial keratiti have a higher rik of corneal depoition. A white precipitate apparently doe not interfere with antibacterial therapeutic repone but may delay epithelial healing of ulcerative keratiti.