What is that
Antibiotic eye drops - together with ophthalmic ointments with antibiotic action - is the main medicine used for the treatment of bacterial eye infections.
Eye drops are a particular pharmaceutical form intended for ophthalmic use and, as such, must comply with very specific characteristics and must be used following some general rules.
Indications
What is Antibiotic Eye Drops used for
As mentioned, antibiotic eye drops are used in the treatment of all those infections that affect the eye and the ocular adnexa. Undoubtedly, the main indication of antibiotic eye drops concerns the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis (acute, subacute and chronic), but not only. In fact, the use of antibiotic eye drops is also indicated in the treatment of:
- Bacterial keratitis ;
- Bacterial blepharitis ;
- Dacryocystitis .
Furthermore, antibiotic eye drops are also used in the pre- and post-operative prophylaxis of surgical operations on the eye.
Composition
Active Ingredients contained in the Antibiotic Eye Drops
Of course, the main components of an antibiotic eye drop are active ingredients with antibacterial activity. Among these, the most used are:
- Tobramycin (Tobral®, Tobradex®);
- Chloramphenicol (Betabioptal®, Colbiocin®);
- Ofloxacin (Exocin®);
- Levofloxacin (Oftaquix®);
- Moxifloxacin (Vigamox®);
- Netilmicin (NetilDex®, Nettacin® Collirio);
- Azithromycin (Azyter®).
In addition to substances with an antibiotic action, other active ingredients can be incorporated into this type of eye drops. Indeed, it is not uncommon for an antibiotic eye drop to contain the concomitant presence of steroid drugs with an anti-inflammatory action (such as, for example, betamethasone or dexamethasone ). These active ingredients are usually added to counteract the typical inflammation that occurs following bacterial infection.
In a similar way, in the preparation it is possible to add active ingredients with a decongestant action, in order to control the typical symptomatology of bacterial infections and the consequent inflammation (redness, edema, itching, etc.).
The choice of the Active Principle
The choice to use a certain active ingredient rather than another depends, of course, on the beat that gave rise to the infection. However, since it is somewhat difficult to establish the pathogen responsible for the infection (except through specific laboratory tests), doctors often prescribe the administration of an antibiotic eye drop containing broad-spectrum active ingredients.
Features
Eye drops are a particular pharmaceutical form in which the active ingredients are dissolved in an aqueous solution, sometimes slightly viscous.
In some cases, however, it is possible that the eye drops are formulated as a suspension. The suspension is used for those active ingredients that are not very soluble in water, such as, for example, steroid-type anti-inflammatories.
The fundamental characteristics that must be possessed by an antibiotic eye drops - and by eye drops in general - are:
- Physiological pH : when possible, the pH of the antibiotic eye drops should be analogous to the pH of the tear fluid (about 7.4), in order to avoid - or at least minimize - the appearance of eye irritation.
- Isotonia : an ideal antibiotic eye drops - in addition to having an adequate pH value - should be isotonic; therefore, it should have a tonicity equal to that of a 0.9% sodium chloride solution (the so-called saline solution).
- Sterility : since the eye is a particularly delicate area, it is very important that the eye drops are sterile.
dosage
The dosage of antibiotic eye drops varies from one medicinal product to another depending on various factors, such as the type of active ingredient used, its concentration, the presence of other active ingredients and the type of disorder that must be treated.
However, regardless of the type of medicine used, when you are receiving antibiotic eye drops, there is a fundamental rule that must be respected: scrupulously follow ALL the instructions provided by the doctor.
In particular, it is extremely important to continue the antibiotic therapy for the time indicated by the doctor and not to interrupt it prematurely when the symptoms disappear. Indeed, such behavior could lead to partial elimination of pathogenic microorganisms and the development of a new infection. Added to this is the fact that improper use of the antibiotic eye drops may favor the appearance of bacterial strains resistant to the active ingredient used (antibiotic-resistance phenomenon).
How to apply
Although the application of antibiotic eye drops is a fairly simple operation to perform, it is good practice to take some small steps:
- First of all, before proceeding with the administration of the drug, it is good to wash your hands thoroughly. If necessary, you can also wash your eyes with a little water, so as to eliminate any secretions.
- The instillation of the antibiotic eye drops - as well as any other eye drops - must be done by tilting the head backwards and gently pulling the lower eyelid in order to facilitate the entry of the drug into the eye. More precisely, the drops must be instilled in the lower part of the conjunctival sac.
- During the administration of the drug - to avoid contamination - the spout of the container must never come into contact with the eye.
- After instillation of the antibiotic eye drops, it is possible to close the eye for a few seconds. If possible, the eye should be closed slowly and not abruptly.
Please note
Antibiotic eye drops should not be instilled if contact lenses are worn. Therefore, before administration of the medicine - if present - it is necessary to remove them.
However, in general, in case of bacterial infection in progress, contact lenses are not recommended. In these particular cases, therefore, it is good to ask the doctor's advice on what to do.
Side effects
The side effects that may occur following the administration of an antibiotic eye drop may vary from individual to individual, depending both on the active ingredient contained in the medicine and on the sensitivity of each patient to the drug.
However, side effects common to most antibiotic eye drops consist of:
- Eye burn;
- Feeling of annoyance;
- Eye pain;
- Ocular itching;
- Temporary blurred vision;
- Eye irritation.
Contraindications
The use of antibiotic eye drops, of course, is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to the active ingredients or to any of the excipients it contains.
Furthermore, it must be remembered that antibiotic eye drops should not be used in cases of viral or fungal infections. The use of antibiotic active ingredients in the case of non-bacterial infections, in fact, would not only not help, but could favor the well-known and unfortunately widespread phenomenon of antibiotic resistance.
