Effect of using vancomycin during cataract surgery on preventing endophthalmitis patients after surgery

Endophthalmitis is the most important complication after cataract surgery which its incidence can lead to severe loss of vision or even loss of vision; therefore, methods of prevention are very important. This study investigated the influence of vancomycin consumption during cataract surgery on prevention of endophthalmitis.

In this experimental study, the study population included patients of cataract surgery that were admitted to Amir Kabir Hospital. The patients were randomly assigned to two groups: with and without receiveing vancomycin in serum. Demographic characteristics of the patients before surgery and incidence of endophthalmitis with the examination until two weeks after surgery were recorded. To compare the frequency (incidence) of infection, endophthalmitis in two groups, Fisher's exact test and X2 test were used.

Of the 1281 patients, 539 were administered vancomycin in serum. The examination after two weeks indicated that 3 (0.23%) patients developed endophthalmitis. Of these, 2 (0.16%) patients belonged to the group without vancomycin and 1(0.07%) patient belonged to the group receiving vancomycin. Fisher's exact test did not show any significant differences between the groups receiving vancomycin and the control group in the prevalence of endophthalmitis.

Although the relative frequency of endophthalmitis in patients without receiving vancomycin was further than control group, the difference was not statistically significant. Thus, adding a drop of vancomycine was not effective in prevention of endophthalmitis and the causes should be sought in other cases.