Comparison of the Effectiveness of Povidone-iodine in Reducing Conjunctival Bacterial Load Prior to Cataract Surgery in Patients Treated With a Lidocaine Gel Dilating Formulation Versus Eye Drops: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Summary

The eye contains a lens that focuses light. A clouding of the lens is known as a cataract. Cataracts decrease vision. The treatment for cataracts is cataract surgery. Cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures. Although rare, complications of cataract surgery are significant given the number of people who have surgery each year and more serious complications may have a significant impact on the vision and quality of patients. Endophthalmitis is an infection in the eye and it is one of the worst complications of cataract surgery. Most of these infections are caused by bacteria from the patient's skin and conjunctiva, which makes cleaning the skin and eye before surgery very important. Before cataract surgery, patients receive an umber of eye drops; many surgical centers have a combination of medications in a thick gel, so that the medications remain in the eye for a long period of time, which may improve their effect. Laboratory studies suggest that the antibacterial effect of cleaning solutions may be inhibited by gels but this has not been proven, and many believe it to be untrue. This study is to compare the amount of bacteria on the eye prior to surgery in patients receiving a gel formulation of the medications before surgery as compared to those receiving the same medication in eye drop (liquid) form.

Timeline

Start

2012-12

Primary completion

2013-08

Completion

2013-08

Drugs

Indications