netilmicin and Conjunctivitis--Bacterial

This study compares the clinical and microbiologic value of topical netilmicin with that of gentamicin in the treatment of acute bacterial conjunctivitis.. A double-blind, randomized, prospective, controlled study was performed in 209 patients. One to two drop(s) of either antibiotic was applied to the affected eye(s) four times a day for up to 10 days. Patients were examined at the time of diagnosis and after 3, 5, and 10 days. Clinical efficacy was measured as the cumulative sum score (CSS) of the key signs and symptoms of acute bacterial ocular infection. Sensitivity/resistance was evaluated using the disk diffusion method.. Drug efficacy assessment was restricted only to patients with positive baseline culture results (n = 121). Of the isolated organisms, 96.9% were sensitive to netilmicin, whereas only 75.0% were sensitive to gentamicin (p = 0.00001). Netilmicin provided a broad-spectrum coverage comparable with that of ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, and norfloxacin. Netilmicin also was more effective than gentamicin in eradicating infections (p = 0.001 at day 5 and p = 0.037 at day 10) and in ameliorating the CSS (p = 0.037 at day 3, p = 0.001 at both day 5 and day 10). Only minor adverse events occurred in patients treated with either netilmicin or gentamicin.. This study demonstrates that netilmicin is a safe and effective antibiotic that can be used as first-line therapy for the treatment of acute bacterial conjunctivitis.

Topics: Acute Disease; Administration, Topical; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteria; Conjunctivitis, Bacterial; Cornea; Double-Blind Method; Female; Gentamicins; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Netilmicin; Prospective Studies; Safety

In a pilot double-blind, randomized, prospective controlled study the effectiveness and safety of 0.3% netilmicin ophthalmic solution were compared with those of 0.3% tobramycin in treating external bacterial ocular infections in 45 eligible patients. The treatment with both study medications resulted in a significant (p < 0.001, Wilcoxon test) reduction in the mean cumulative score of the signs and symptoms. However, no statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups. The clinical improvement rate was almost complete with either antibiotics. There was a statistically positive trend in the netilmicin group with regard to the microbiological improvement that was achieved in (87% of the netilmicin patients) compared with 77% of the tobramycin patients (77%). Antibiotic sensitivity revealed that 84% of the organisms isolated were sensitive to netilmicin whereas only 64% of them were sensitive to tobramycin. Only minor adverse events occurred in patients treated with either netilmicin or tobramycin. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that netilmicin is a promising new antibiotic for treating external ocular infections.

Topics: Administration, Topical; Adult; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Conjunctivitis, Bacterial; Double-Blind Method; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Female; Gentamicins; Humans; Male; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Netilmicin; Staphylococcal Infections; Staphylococcus aureus; Tobramycin; Treatment Outcome