Efficacy of neonatal ocular prophylaxis for the prevention of chlamydial and gonococcal conjunctivitis

Article Abstract:

Gonorrhea and chlamydia are both sexually transmitted diseases which, when left untreated, can be passed to infants during delivery. The eye disease conjunctivitis that results from infant exposure to gonorrhea can cause blindness, but this is prevented by routine prophylactic administration of silver nitrate eye drops at the time of delivery. The increase of maternal chlamydial bacterial infections in recent years is causing some concern. Chlamydia infection is now the more commonly found cause of infant eye infection. The antibiotic drugs currently used to prevent gonococcal eye infections have not been shown to prevent chlamydial infections. Erythromycin and tetracycline eye ointments were evaluated for effectiveness in the treatment of both chlamydial and gonococcal eye infections. Of the 12,431 infants tested, gonococcal infections were present in 8 infants. Of those, one was treated with silver nitrate, four received erythromycin, and three were given tetracycline. Chlamydial infections involved 230 infants; 20 percent were treated with silver nitrate, 14 percent with erythromycin, and 11 percent with tetracycline. Chlamydial eye infections were not effectively reduced by treatment with erythromycin or tetracycline. Better screening and treatment for chlamydia in the mother is suggested; additionally, better screening and treatment of maternal gonococcal infection could help reduce the incidence of neonatal gonococcal ophthalmia.

Evaluation, Erythromycin, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Tetracycline, Tetracyclines, Silver nitrate

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Why we need a program for the control of Chlamydia trachomatis

Article Abstract:

Untreated gonorrhea and chlamydia can be passed to infants during delivery. Conjunctivitis can result from infant exposure to gonorrhea and can cause blindness. The disease can be prevented by routine prophylactic administration of silver nitrate eye drops at the time of delivery. The increase of maternal chlamydial bacterial infections in recent years has caused some concern. Chlamydia infections are now the most commonly found cause of infant eye infection. A new study found that neither silver nitrate, erythromycin, or tetracycline infant eye drops are effective in preventing chlamydial eye infections. Another infection affecting infants exposed to chlamydia is chlamydial pneumonia. This disease can be mild or life-threatening. Pregnant women with chlamydial infections can be identified by routine cultures and treated effectively with antibiotics. Because of the poor treatment success with routine prophylactic eye drops, an effort should be made to improve chlamydia screening programs, offer education regarding risk factors and prevention, and provide effective treatment and follow-up.

Sexually transmitted diseases, Methods, Complications and side effects, Medical screening, Health screening, Chlamydia trachomatis, Sexually transmitted disease prevention, editorial

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Therapy with a purified plasminogen concentrate in an infant with ligneous conjunctivitis and homozygous plasminogen deficiency. (Brief Report)

Article Abstract:

Plasminogen combined with the amino acid lysine may be effective in treating patients with ligneous conjunctivitis. This eye disease occurs in people whose tears do not contain plasminogen, which is a precursor of an enzyme that breaks down blood clots. Because of this deficiency, these patients develop extensive blood clots over their corneas. Researchers treated one infant with this condition with lysine-conjugated plasminogen. Two weeks later, the blood clots on his eyes could be surgically removed and did not grow back as long as he continued to take lysine-conjugated plasminogen.

Care and treatment, Fibrinolytic agents, Plasmin

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